Freedom
by spotttedpath
Summary: Erin is a skilled soldier who always thinks of the mission first. Too bad Sideswipe has different plans for her, he even pulls Sunstreaker into it. Enemies become friends and vice versa. What happens when a mysterious organization threatens Erin's new life at Diego Garcia? SSXOCXSS Movie1verse.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, my name is spottedpath. I have been a reader on fanfiction for a while but this is the first story I've ever published. I am a new writer so please go easy on me. It is inspired by VoodooQueen's Finding Home (I highly recommend reading it), so if you notice any similarities, that's why. I would also like to thank VoodooQueen for the support in publishing this. Thanks and please enjoy!**

 **All characters and content belong to their rightful owners, unless they are my OCs.**

Freedom

Chapter 1

Erin Brook sat straight on the rough leather seats of the carrier plane. Her mind had cut itself off from her surroundings while she sorted through the recently revealed data. She had been on the aircraft for nearly six hours and the introductory presentation had just ended. Sergeant Epps concluded the Q&A session and left the new recruits time to muddle over the information.

Before she had withdrawn she overheard the expected reactions of disbelief coupled with several not so funny jokes and even a hidden innuendo about girl-bots. Bots. Robots. A year ago, had Erin been told about a war between sentient alien robots, she would have dismissed the lunacy. However, there she was.

Being a straight forward kind of girl, she ignored the shock, allowing only her curiosity to seep through as she went over the presentation again in her mind. Epps had started by explaining what he claimed was the true events in Mission City four years ago. The government had done well to cover up the event, and she would have believed fully in the hoax, had she cared in the first place. At the time the so-called terror attack had nothing to do with her so why bother thinking about it?

Sergeant Epps had continued to explain the basics of the autobot-human alliance. She found the level of freedom granted to N.E.S.T to be astonishing at first. However, she soon reasoned that the American government would want to maintain some level of detachment from the autobots in case something went wrong. A small part of her also accepted the reasoning that the cybertronians should be treated fairly, however Erin hardly ever listened to that small part. It was not that she was insensitive, but she had learned early on that letting her sensitive side free was equivalent to self-harm.

After describing how daily life should go on the base- and how this concept was torn apart by giant aliens that were too curious, clumsy, or couldn't care less- they were given brief descriptions of each of the bots. This had peaked Erin's interest. Optimus Prime was the commander of the autobots, Epps lauded his strength, patients, and leadership skills. Prowl was his second in command, a logical thinker that at times thinks critically of humans. Epps, however, assured everyone that they should not take offense to any offhanded comments he makes as he does not intend to hurt anyone's pride and sometimes he even means to be endearing. Jazz was the third in command, Epps described him as one of the calmer bots, or mechs as he said males were called- Erin sorted the topic of robot genders for another time-, she got the sense that he would play devil's advocate for the group. He was an honorable bot that would put the lives of all his comrades before his own and apparently, he had done just that during Mission City. Ratchet was the field medic who had a bad habit of also wanting to treat humans but was only allowed to preform medical procedures on those of the so-called Team Prime. This was a group of autobots and a few humans who were considered tactical specialists. They also operated with some autonomy while Prime seemed to take responsibility for whatever actions they may take. Ironhide was the weapons specialist who was also in charge of creating training regimens for new recruits and soldiers who work closely with or on Team Prime. There was also Bumblebee- the scout and guardian of a boy named Sam Whitwicky, Mirage- a master of espionage, Wheeljack- the wrecker with a love for explosives and dual blades, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker- the terror twins and front liners (robots could have siblings, apparently), Que- the inventor whose lab is off limits to all humans not on Team Prime, and Arcee- a small hand to hand combat expert, it also happened to be a 'female' bot.

Before any of the recruits had time to absorb the information on the autobots, Epps continued with describing the decepticons and their intentions on earth. Erin stared intently at the images of Megatron, Starscream, and Baricade, the other images were dissolved or had no names to identify the bots by.

After a terror lesson on how the world would probably end Epps allowed a Q&A session. He nodded to the first man to raise his hand.

The guy sat lazily in is seat, moving with the flow as the plane careened. With a smug expression on his face he asked, "Do you guys always play such elaborate jokes on the new guys or what?"

After that, Erin had decided to ignore the rest of the session. She wanted to organize her thoughts and while some Q&A would be helpful, she did not think the men in the room would ask many deep or enlightening questions and she did not wish to call attention to herself, yet.

She was pulled away from her own thoughts by an irritating tap between her shoulder blades. She gave a sideways glance to the man sitting beside her. He had a flirtatious grin and subconsciously raised one eyebrow slightly when he said, "If all the girls at the base are as beautiful as you then I will be a lucky man." Erin remained expressionless, holding her gaze out of one eye before looking forward again to see Epps take his seat in preparation for landing. Erin barley heard the man try to introduce himself. His name was Francis Sixt or Franky for short, he tried to throw in a quick one liner but by then Erin had completely shut him out.

The plane jostled its occupants before pulling to a quick stop. A mass of bodies stood, all itching to get off the hot, smelly vehicle. The doors lowered to a ramp, letting in a harsh burst of sunlight. The group stepped out into the island of Diego Garcia. The area was open, surrounded by cut grass and bordered by palm trees. The summer air with thick with sticky heat and the light beat down on Erin. She glanced at the nearby barracks. She had already studied a basic map of the island and knew that she was standing in front of hanger one with the first and second barracks to the left. The hanger to the right was used mainly for sessions involving combat troops, where she would spend most of her day.

Erin had not yet been assigned any tasks aside from participating in training routines and any cleaning task usually thrown upon rookies. She would have plenty of free time, something she was not used to.

Erin spotted a group of soldiers snickering and pointing at the group of recruits. _'What are they laughing about? Maybe they're unimpressed by the next batch of cannon fodder?'_ Erin darkly thought. As she made her way to the main hanger, as directed, and was almost caught off guard by a roaring engine. A silver corvette stingray drifted around from 4 o'clock and moved counterclockwise towards Erin. She quickly stepped back to let the speeding car pass. The curly haired man who was standing next to her took and extra second to react. He rolled backwards and smoothly pulled back onto his feet, all in one fluid movement. Erin was mildly impressed by the grace with which he moved. Perhaps he was a gymnast at one point. What really caught Erin's attention was the calmness, almost indifference, in his blue eyes. Her attention returned to the speeding car which had drifted to the nine o'clock position where Epps was. It made a quick circle around him and he gracelessly fell back and landed on his butt. A slip of paper slid from the then idling vehicle's undercarriage Erin picked it up and stole a glance at its contents.

She paused for a moment, having trouble computing what she saw. Silently, she handed it to Epps and watched the horror ride up on his face. On the single page was a rather goofy looking picture of Epps. At the top it said "Lost" in bolded red letters, Beneath the caption read, "my virginity. Missing since June 27th 2011", just last week.

Epps sputtered a bit before looking around. Erin noticed the group of soldiers she had observed before, were gathered around a sheet of paper. She looked further to the main hanger and saw pages lazily taped ten feet up on the wall. Although she was too far to confirm it, she had a sneaking suspicion of what the contents were.

Epps caught her attention once again with a sudden outburst, "I have two kids!"

A voice came from within the corvette, "That's unfortunate."

The Sargent's face changed from that of embarrassment to fury. "Bastard! I'll shove my gun so far up your aft-"

"Well _that_ explains everything." The voice interrupted.

Epps went back to the shocked sputtering mess he was a second prior. While the man berated the voice in the car for embarrassing him in front of the recruits, it did not take long for Erin to make the connection when she saw the silver form, rocking from side to side. This was the prankster known as Sideswipe, a living sentient giant that folded itself into a car.

Erin cleared her throat before addressing the machine, staring at the autobot symbol on its hood for lack of anywhere else to look, "You must be Sideswipe," the car stopped rocking and the wheels turned ever so slightly in Erin's direction. "Epps said you were a notorious prankster, however if this is the best you've got…" she paused as a cruel smile spread her lips, she tilted her head back in a display of defiance, "I must say that I'm rather unimpressed."

Silence filled the air and held for several seconds. A series of mechanical sounds started as the corvette quickly reconfigured itself into a tall robot. Erin's eyes quickly glanced over the autobot. The first thing she noticed was its size, it did not add up in her mind. It was taller than she expected, far taller. She estimated the bot's height was twenty feet but it should have been smaller when compared to its vehicle form. She also noticed the two wheels which made up its feet where twice as large as they had been before. Even if it had blown up the wheels for added height somehow, it was still too tall in her mind. Plus, when she glanced at parts of the robot's outer shell, she recognized some of the pieces from the vehicle form and the sizes where also somewhat off. Finally, in her quick appraisal of the autobot, she realized that it was missing its swords which Epps said it always had. Perhaps it was hiding them somewhere or changed their size to make then more compact. Who knew what kind of technology these machines possessed, or where in that case. Erin completed all these thoughts before that last piece of the giant's chest armor clicked into place.

The robot stood over her, its shadow covering her even with the sun high in midday. It took a second to glance over Erin, seeming to perform its own appraisal of her before it nodded, seeming to find what it was looking for. Its calm demeanor changed with a lopsided grin and a slight tilt of its head. "Do you have any suggestions?" it inquired with a raised brow.

Erin saw a lot in the robot's face. For one, she could tell that it was just humoring her, she didn't think it cared all that much. Why would a super advanced race or alien robots care about a bunch of small two legged animals anyway? She responded nonetheless, "With your reputation I thought you would be the maestro of your work. I'm just a little disappointed and bored." Erin gave a dramatically fake sign and lifted her arms in a defeated gesture.

It smirked at her comment. Making a grand gesture of bowing like a performer, it responded, "Don't worry sweet-spark, I aim to please and I promise the next one will be just for you." It finished with a wink.

Well that was unexpectedly friendly. Erin still got the sense that this robot did not entirely care much for humans, at least by the way it dismissed the others. Yet she had its momentary attention. What was its motivation for making conversation? Perhaps it was ordered to. Erin remembered how Epps described Optimus Prime's wish for humans and autobots to coexists. This one must have been fulfilling expectations. Erin decided to respond with a hint of the indifference she sensed from the silver bot, looking towards its wheeled feet, "Sure," she changed to a challenging tone, "I look forward to it." She finished her statement, glancing back straight into its eyes, or optics as the autobots supposedly called them.

The bot's grin grew at her response. "I like you femme." It asked after a second of thought, "What's yer name?". It tilted its head even further, almost like a confused puppy.

Erin was fully aware of the men around her, staring in shock. She decidedly dismissed them, she still had to finish making this impression. "Private Brooks." She said curtly.

The robot shook its head, "That's your designation, I want to know your name." It stared intently at her.

Erin lowered her nose, still glancing up at him, "Erin."

Satisfied the autobot started to wheel back, "Well, Erin, I'll be see'in you around." It finished with one last wink before changing back into a car and screeching off in the opposite direction of the main hanger, towards what was considered the autobot's part of the base.

For a second the only sounds where of the wind which was slowly picking up, and the fading of a high-performance engine. Then, "What the fuck was that?" Franky asked while staring at where the silver giant once stood.

'That," Epps responded, "was Sideswipe." He said with a hint of grit. "And private Brooks," he addressed Erin, "Please don't encourage him." He almost wined.

Erin obediently nodded and turned back towards the main hanger, leaving a group of still stunned men behind with Epps slowly trekking by her heels.

When Erin saw the massive hanger from the outside, she expected it to contain multiple levels. When she entered, however, the ceiling was fifty feet high and the majority of the space was in one massive room. Several catwalks lined the walls which had sectioned off areas, each containing what was obviously alien equipment. In the center of the room, was another catwalk, only this one had two levels, the first was slightly forward of the second to leave head room. A section of the railing that lined the first catwalk was noticeably crushed.

Epps took the lead and headed towards one end of the cat walk before he suddenly stopped. "What the fuck?" he all but sighed.

It took Erin a moment to realize there was no way up. Several small divets and dark spaces marked where stair cases should have been on either side.

"Well, I guess we'll do the introductions here… Fuck'n Sideswipe, twice in one day."

As Epps mumbled about all the ways he wanted to punish the giant alien robot, several vehicles entered through a side door in the hanger. Their loud thrumming engines caught most of the group off guard. After seeing one of the aliens, the majority of men seemed nervous and suspicious of the flashy vehicles that entered. Walking among them was a human whom Erin recognized to me Captain Lennox. As the cars lined up in front of the recruits, Lennox approached his fellow humans to address them.

"Hello, I am Captain Lennox and would like to welcome you to NEST and Diego Garcia. I am certain that Sargent Epps did a good job at explaining the inner workings of NEST and gave you some details about our allies. Now I would like you to hear from their leader, Optimus Prime."

On que, the flashy blue and red semi started unfolding, a series of twirling parts reorganized themselves and clicked together in new places as the form stood taller and taller. Once the last cog pushed into place, a towering humanoid stood, surveying the group with glowing blue eyes. The entire group, Erin included, stared in awe. Everything about this robot, from its size and posture, to its expression on its face, called for respect. This was Optimus Prime.

A baritone voice came from the giant, "Autobots, transform.".

Obediently, the line of vehicles began unfolding and reconfiguring into humanoid figures. None were quite as tall or impressive as the first one, but they were not any less intimidating. Erin bean her visual analysis of the line up, simultaneously taking in the leader's reverent speech about his species history and their mission on Earth. She recognized each bot from the initial briefing. Starting from the left was Ironhide, weapons specialist. Erin could see from his proximity to Prime that there was an air of trust between them. It stood at around twenty feet tall and had a massive build. Twirling on its forearms were not-very-conspicuous weapons that appeared to be cannons of some sort. A faint blue glow came from each. Its feet were splayed out, in fact, they were not very foot-like at all. It must require extra stabilization to hold up its bulk.

Erin also noticed that, while its black exterior was glossy, the metallic parts of it were covered in scratches and even some scar-like gashes. One of which was over its eye. This bot would be in charge of a portion of her training. From the intimidating glare her group received from said machine, she could tell it would not be easy.

Next was the autobot medic, Ratchet. It was taller than the black bot but was far slimmer. This robot was mainly florescent yellow. It didn't have any notable exterior weapons. From its upper build, Erin could tell it was designed for heavy lifting and not extreme combat maneuvers. She also wondered how well a three fingered hand would be at delicate surgery or repairs.

Next was Prowl, the second in command, the robot was shorter than the black bot by around three feet. It stood with its back straight, the doors from its police vehicle form hung back like wings. Erin knew from the earlier briefing that this bot was a walking rule book. It was the closest to what Erin imagined a 'sentient' robot to be like, considering her previous experience with such things were mainly terminator and Robocop.

Standing close to the SIC was the third in command, Jazz. This bot had the biggest grin plastered on its face. It was also the second shortest of the group. Erin noted its eyes were covered by a dark visor, only a faint glow could be visible through them. Its hands were more like the claws one would see in a claw machine game than hands.

Next there was Arcee, the smallest of the robots. Erin somewhat saw the 'female' in this bot. it was around nine feet tall and balanced on a single wheel for its 'leg'. The bot's facial features were more feminine and its color was a soft pink.

Erin heard the leader explain how Que, Wheeljack, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Mirage, and Bumblebee were elsewhere at the moment and would be seen around base at some point. She'd have to wait to make the rest of her observations.

The bot thanked the group for offering their services to NEST and they were politely dismissed. Short and sweet. Just how Erin liked it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, spottedpath here! I would just like to thank everyone who followed/favorited/reviewed. This is really exciting, especially since it's my first story ever. I was so excited I shot out another chapter. I don't think I will be able to make them so quickly in the future, but I think that I can manage to get them out on a regular basis.**

 **I would like to clear up a few things that I may have left out earlier. While this story occurs four years after the first Bay movie, it does not include events from the next movies. Not that I like or dislike them, they just don't fit with the story I was hoping to make. There may also be some Primeverse elements. You may have noticed that I made Wheeljack and Que two different 'bots. I really like the inventor but I also love how Prime handled the Wrecker. Que will be the inventor and he'll look like he did in the third movie. Wheeljack is the warrior from the Primeverse.**

 **I was also trying to decide how the relationship between the main characters will end up. Right now, I believe I'll include hints of SSXSS but I have not decided how far I will take it. This fanfiction is rated for language and some sexual themes. Ratings may go higher.**

 **Ok, I hope that clears most of it up!**

 **I do not own Transformers, only my OCs.**

Chapter 2

After receiving information on base basics such as a map and list of times and places where each recruit was expected, the group had headed to their barracks. There, Erin learned that she had her own room. It was small for a bedroom, but had more than enough space for a soldier. She had a bed, a nightstand, and even a desk with a filing cabinet. Erin reasoned that her room was meant to hold someone of much higher rank. However, she was assigned it to avoid her sleeping in the bunk with the men, not that she cared. Soldiers were housed per rank and station. She happened to be to only female recruit in an actual combat position. Erin did not mind, she liked her privacy.

After unpacking, which was rather quick considering she only had a few uniforms, exercise clothes, and toiletries, she glanced at her dossier. Breakfast was between 0500 and 0800 hours, and she was only expected for her daily activities from 0800 hours to 1500 hours. Recruits had duty nights in which they performed whatever menial tasks leadership hands out. Her duty nights were Monday through Wednesday. Erin knew that, although she and the others were technically 'recruits', everyone else had been in the military for at least two years before going to Diego Garcia. They were just called such because they were new to this kind of war. She had expected something of a stricter lifestyle, not that she was going to complain.

After a few minutes, Erin began to feel restless. She settled for doing a few crunches. There was just enough floor space for her to fit comfortably by the bed without worry of hitting any of the furniture. After about two hundred crunches, she got bored and started doing pushups. She counted out two hundred of those, wishing she could go to the weight room. Unfortunately, it was already 1700 hours and the weight room closes to lower level soldiers at that time. She decided that, after dinner, she would go for a nice long run.

Erin did not care to change her uniform before heading out of her room and towards the exit of the barracks. She was out quickly, considering she lived on the first floor and only a few yards from the exit. She headed to the mess hall, feeling the still hot air frizzing the hair that was pasted across her wet neck.

She entered the mess hall and quickly got in line. The food was decent enough. She got a turkey club sandwich and a salad, then grabbed a water bottle before heading directly towards a table with no occupants. Just short of her destination, Erin was cut off by Franky. He gave a coy grin before slightly nodding at her to join him at the still empty table. Not wanting him to cause a scene, she complied and joined him. She settled at the end seat while he plopped down next to her.

"Soooo…" he drawled out. "What happened this morning?" He leaned on the table, a textbook display of acting casual. Erin looked directly at him, she studied his features, his positioning, all of it looked fake. There was something about him that she did not trust. Erin had learned to read people well, but everything she saw in him was artificial.

"You mean with the robot?" she questioned. Slowly becoming more interested in figuring the man out.

"Yeah, Sideswipe's his name, right?" Franky smirked, happy to have Erin's attention. "Didn't even blink when he transformed and then you chatted him up like he wasn't towering over you." He leaned in closer. Erin sensed the question in his statement.

"He wasn't threatening me, besides, I'm a girl in the military, everyone towers over me." She stated matter-of-factly. It was, of course, not true, she did feel threatened by the alien's presence. She could tell how dangerous it was, and self-preservation warned her to stay weary. The latter part was true, though, Erin looked rather unassuming. She stood at 5' 6" and while she was fit, she was outweighed by most military men by at least 50 pounds.

"I have a feeling that you're tougher than you look. Hell, I was terrified and I work in intelligence, you won't believe some of the shit I've seen."

Erin held his gaze. "Intelligence?" she inquired.

He sighed, "yeah, information gathering mostly."

"Like a spy?" Erin snorted and turned away to face her food.

"Trust me, it's not as glamorous as it sounds. I'll be spending most of my time working at I.T. I'm just support staff, after all." he said as he started eating.

They continued their light banter for a while, discussing nothing in particular; the humid weather, what state's they are from. Erin had to explain that Oregon was not all hippies like Franky reverently believed. She did not, however, allow the friendly conversation to chip away at her guard. Eventually, Erin asked, "Do you remember the guy in our group with curly hair? He used some good moves when getting out of Sideswipe's way."

Franky didn't miss a beat, "His name is Private Adam Walker, top of his ROTC unit in physical stamina and top student in his school. This father is Charles Walker, an important official in the CIA."

Erin raised an eyebrow, "And how do you know all of this?"

He shrugged, "Wouldn't you like to know." After a few seconds under her intense gaze, however, he conceded, "I chatted with him on the plane, not that he really says much, before I spotted a certain beauty sitting alone."

Erin rolled her eyes. "Well, I think it's about time I head out, see ya." She quickly got up, ignoring his protests and only mildly agreeing to meet him for breakfast the next day. Perhaps if she played her cards right, he'd be of use to her later.

After heading back to her room, Erin quickly got changed into her running clothes and headed out towards a path she saw on a map. She had to admit that the beach on Diego Garcia was beautiful. The sun was beginning to set and the bright yellow reflection on the water faded to near pale as it climbed closer to the shore before blending in with the sand under Erin's feet. After about thirty minutes of running alongside the beautiful view, she trekked closer to the road and continued through a thick grove of palm trees.

Running always made Erin feel better. It reminded her of how strong she had trained herself to be. It also helped her feel secure, knowing that she could run away. Unfortunately, she never ran, she endured years of abuse but never took any of her opportunities to escape. Lost in thought, Erin remembered a time when she had the perfect opportunity to escape, but she never took it, all she would have had to do was run. She could have even fought if need be, why else go through the effort of training her body if she didn't use her skills for self-defense? The regret made her run even harder. She left the palm trees and continued on the path back towards the barracks, only sparing a quick glance towards the silver glint she caught in the corner of her eye.

-POV Change-

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker where getting back from yet another uneventful patrol. Sunstreaker cursed at the dirt that was gathering in his undercarriage while Sideswipes laughed at his pettiness.

:Don't worry, Sunny, you can spend all night in the wash racks if it makes ya feel better.: After a moment, he added, :I'll even give you a wax…:

Sunstreaker scoffed, : I'm only covered in this fragging stuff because you decided to pull another prank and got us in trouble. And usually, when you offer me a wax job I end up even more scuffed up than before… And don't call me that!:

:You know you love i-: Sideswipe cut himself off in a moment of distraction. He slowed to a near crawl as he saw a tiny figure run out of the palm trees. Even in the dark glow of the night his sensors could easily pick up a certain human femme.

Sunstreaker backed a bit, having been initially caught off guard by his twin's sudden deceleration. :What?: He asked.

Sideswipe snapped back to reality and revved his engine as he continued towards the autobot barracks. :Oh, it's nothing. I just met that human femme earlier and she was kinda interesting.:

Sunstreaker stayed silent, however, Sideswipe could feel his anger over their twin bond.

:Now, Sunny. Don't get all jealous just 'cause I chatted with a fleshy this morning.:

:Don't call me that! What were you thinking fragger? We don't need to have anything to do with the squishies. Why would you even _want_ to talk to them?: It was no secret that Sunstreaker did not like humans. He wasn't about to go con and kill all of them, but he still considered them to be pests. They were just necessary evils during their _temporary_ stay on earth.

:Prime is always grinding our gears about getting along with the humans. I mean, Bumblebee willingly plays chauffer for one of them. And don't even get me started on Ironhide and Annabelle. So what if I humored one of them. Besides, for a squishy, she's kinda cute…Well, you know, in a pet-like w-:

Before Sideswipe could finish the statement, Sunstreaker, in flash of rage, transformed and grabbed his brother who was still in vehicle mode. Although Sideswipe was about the same size as Sunstreaker, the older twin was far stronger. While they were gladiators, Sideswipe was known for quick attacks and evasion while Sunstreaker was the 'muscle' as humans would put it. When he wasn't tearing bots apart bit by bit he doubled as a shield for his brother. This strength is the reason why it took Sunstreaker almost no effort to swing Sideswipe into the air and toss him like a lob ball clear across the field. What Sunstreaker did not realize was, that at this point in their conversation, the human had run into the vicinity of where his brother was now flying.

Erin was pointedly ignoring the machines idling a few yards from her, or at least that was until one of them transformed and threw the other straight at her. She glanced up in time to see none other than a silver corvette spinning in the air, blaring its horn as it hurdled to the ground.

The action was so unexpected, Erin did not have much time to react, especially when said car transformed, throwing off her estimate as to where it would land. She hit the ground as the giant mass fell by her. A few yards to her right, it landed on its back before it rolled once towards her. A balled fist landed inches from her head while the other hand landed a few feet on the other side of her. After the robot stopped moving Erin chanced a glance up. Lo and behold there was the autobot called Sideswipe, staring down at her. Its face was a mix of shock and amusement.

Erin turned to lie somewhat on her back, still leaning down to avoid getting in its 'personal' space. The robot was truly _huge_. Erin had already known this, but to have the giant alien straddling over her was intimidating to say the least. Meanwhile, it held a dumb lopsided smile while she tried to drag herself away from it.

"Well, what are the chances I'd run into you again?" it rumbled. The silver robot cocked its head to the side the same way it had done earlier that morning.

"Do you make a habit of almost crushing people." Erin asked, still awkwardly lying under the bot.

"Naw, but I like to change things up every onc- awk!" the autobot was pulled up to its wheel-feet by the base of its neck. The yellow bot, Sunstreaker as Erin recalled, glared at its twin with fury. The air had a dark miasma emanating from the angry looking bot.

After a few long seconds of the yellow bot staring daggers into the other one, it spoke, "Just get going, fragger." It turned, completely dismissive of Erin, and managed to get a step out before the silver one spoke with a mischievous tone.

"What if I _want_ to stay?" It smirked as the other one stopped dead in its tracks. It stood there for a moment, facing away from the other two. After a long moment, it turned on its heels and swung a fist up, into the silver one's chest. The bot on the receiving end went airborne for a second before falling onto its back, with Erin barley getting missed by its body on one side and arm on the other. The golden bot sank down to straddle the silver one and gripped its chest plates, shouting at it with clicks and whirls. Erin hypothesized that it was cybertronian for a long line of curses.

The silver one push back and to the side, forcing the other one to the ground with Erin stuck between them. The yellow one started punching the silver one while Erin desperately searched for a means of escape. They were moving quickly, so much so that once an opening appeared, it disappeared before she could react. She had no weapons to defend herself with and all she wore for protection was a t-shirt and sweatpants. A yellow knee crashed down next to her and knocked her to the side as it flew over her once again when the bot was flipped over.

A shocking wave of pan hit her moments after the unexpected assault. She tried to scramble away, but the act was in vain.

Sideswipe heard the human femme squeak as she was tossed around by Sunstreaker who, at the time, was not aware of her presence. If he had been, he would have been worried about getting her oils all over his paint job. Sideswipe, however, couldn't just let a human be crushed during one of their sibling squabbles. He would never hear the end of it from Prowl. He tried to send calming feelings to his twin to get him out of his fit of rage. This did not work, of course. Sunstreaker had been on edge for several days without a good fight and his gladiator protocols were itching to be let loose. His optics were a pale shade of blue, lighter than his usual azure shade. Yeah, he was pretty out of control.

Sideswipe managed to pin his brother long enough so he could scoop Erin up and fall back, far enough to keep his brother from making an immediate move. He landed on his aft and Erin cried out in surprise, and perhaps pain.

He dropped her in his lap and looked up at Sunstreaker who was frozen where he sat, glaring at the small form kneeling on his twin.

 _'_ _Well, that could have been worse…'_


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello Readers. I hope you enjoy the story so far. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed. I'm glad some people enjoy the story, even though I am new to writing in general. I hope that I can improve as the story continues. Also, my knowledge of military stuff is about zero, so if anyone notices a glaring mistake or thinks there is a way to improve the story, feel free to message me. I am open to ideas and criticisms.**

 **Ok, that's it. Thanks for reading.**

 **I do not own Transformers.**

Chapter 3

How did this happen? All Erin wanted was to go on a jog. Was that too much to ask for? Apparently. Because, at present, she was kneeling on a giant robot's _lap_ , holding on to one of its abdominal plates for dear life, and hoping the other bot wouldn't mount another attack. Erin hated feeling helpless, but this brought helplessness to a whole new universe, being at the mercy of a cybertronian. She remembered the feeling when its hand wrapped around her and picked her up. She felt weak and pissed.

'Now is not the time to get emotional.' Erin scolded herself for the lapse. She needed to analyze, it was one of her strengths, after all. Neither cybertronian was moving. She could hear fan-like sounds coming from each of them, aside from that they were stalk still. They seemed to be in a mild state of shock, like the one she was in. The Silver one was staring at the ground in front of its feet, while the yellow one was gazing blindly past its twin.

After a second of thought she allowed herself to stand and jump off the motionless bot. Without another word, she walked away, slowly speeding up to finish her run. In reality, she was just trying to get away from those two as quickly as possible. Erin was relieved to hear no movement from either machine as she made her getaway.

As she ran, something deep and curious and dangerous urged her to glance back. Two pairs of glowing blue eyes watched her retreat. She sped her pace, rushing forward to be out of visual range. Her pace did not slow until she reached her barracks.

After Erin made it to her room, she grabbed her basic sanitary supplies and headed to the showers. It was just a line of seven stalls with three urinals, one walled-in toilet, and two hand-washing sinks across on one side. Erin pulled the thick, crinkly, yellow curtain to the changing part of the shower and proceeded to quickly pull off her sweaty clothes.

She was all too happy when she felt the hot water lather over her skin. The steam cleared her sinuses which had been assaulted by the cooled humidity outside and she breathed in a deep breath, trying to release all her stresses with it.

Her ears perked, checking for any missed signs that there would be someone else present. The only answer was silence and nearly still air. With no one around, she allowed her body to shake with an onslaught of emotions. Her own hands blindly reached up to create some kind of comforting embrace. Images of metal scraping on metal, giant hands and elbows swinging around her, the almost white eyes of a very furious front liner… It all crashed into her mind and brought tremors down to the base of her spine. Finally, her legs gave out and she crashed to the floor in a unceremonious heap of weeping weakness. It was all so sudden and too much. She was too weak to deal with this, especially alone.

Her self-pity did not last long, however. Now was the time to analyze what had happened, while it was still fresh in her mind. She had to let all emotions go.

Calmly, she replayed the day of alien interactions. She remembered when she first saw one of them The silver robot had seemed friendly enough, and when it was chucked over her, it even seemed mildly flirtatious by the way it looked at her.

It didn't mean to get her involved in the scuffle. After the fact, Erin remembered how it actively swatted the other bot's blows away from her. It even picked her up to pull her away from the danger.

Erin's heart lurched with an emotion she actively tried to quell, guilt. Even though she never said it out loud, she blamed the silver bot for making her feel weak while he was only doing his best to protect her. He didn't have to.

Wait… He? Yes, he. Erin always tried to keep detached from others and situations around her. However, Sideswipe was a living being- no matter how much that thought confused Erin. He was deserving of enough respect not to be called an 'it', even in Erin's mind.

The yellow bot, Sunstreaker, did not seem to give one shit about what happened to Erin. She knew he was Sideswipe's twin, that flashy paintjob had definitely caught her attention during the briefing. All the 'bots were shiny and had expensive vehicle modes. But the canary yellow Lamborghini required the attention of any room it entered. 'Maybe he's a pompous runway model.' She snorted to herself at the thought.

After a quick overheated shower, Erin quickly dried off and clothed herself before heading back to her room. She was tired from the day's events and hoped to get some extra sleep in before whatever the start of her training would bring.

One of Erin's weaknesses was that she liked to sleep, a lot. Usually she never got more than six hours, but she would happily rest for at least twelve hours each night if she could. It was a side effect of her chromic light sleeping. She could sleep through a hurricane, but if anyone were to approach her, she'd be awake and armed before the assailant realized what happened. It was part of her training, and would probably never go away.

She set her alarm for 0600 hours and effortlessly fell asleep.

-Scene Change-

A shadow lurked through the short halls, shifting weight in such a way that no sound could be heard with each step. Eventually, the form made its way to the communications room. A hand placed a code breaking device on the pin-pad lock to the door. Within seconds a small click sounded and the agent stealthily moved through the threshold.

Number 56 activated the nearest computer and plugged in a flash drive. This drive would not only activate a communication network for the agent, but also start the process of decoding sensitive N.E.S.T files and transmitting them. It was helpful for an agent who lacked finess in the world of hacking.

56 waited for base to respond. Within seconds, a blue screen illuminated a portion of the room, on a separate computer from the one 56 was using. This extra data stop would help confuse the target. The coded message appeared on the second screen,

TAKA SHE NES? (How's it going?). The coding was one that took years to develop and understand. It was like a language that evolved constantly. Even alien beings with computer-like minds would not be able to decode it if it changed too rapidly. 56 had enough knowledge of the coding to predict the next two years of changes that may occur. Throughout those two years, hints for future coding will be present, allowing for an endless cycle of sypher.

56 wrote a response. UOI BLU EVE. (How do you think?).

ATE KESTROV NEBURE WES GLOK? (Are they big).

Well that was a stupid question. 56 was started to lose patience. The agent knew 25 was a bit too fascinated by the autobots.

FUTSU! (Focus!)

ISU METSU TUKI FIKSU ? YOIH WEY RUPTROV SOIPTSEN ! BLULU NOS DES TROIK SPESEREN ? GLEVLEN NOS DEFRE SAKROV. (You are telling me to focus? You are the one who's been going off the plan. What are you trying to do, pick up a date? You are on a mission!)

KESRE HES NECROK HEBEN YOS JLEV. TEK JES NESBEV GLEVE SINKRU NIKI TROV, TROV BLUVU KOKROK TEKE QUESTIVFRIK FLEB. REV FLEB RUPTROV SIPTOSEN, RERVLER KOISEN TUKI SUJET TROV. BLEK FLERVER YES NET HASPBAN SI ZEZ FRER COISEN. (Yes, a long term one. If I show off some of my skills and play them off right off the bat, there will be less risk of suspicion than if I get exposed later. I'm good, but we don't know how long this mission will be. If I'm in for the long haul, then there is no way I can act normal the whole time.)

SEKREV FRI TRUSTUI. (This was not according to plan.)

IKREI TRI FRIBLUBU? NES IKRI, SUES BLEK ? (Which do you trust more? Me, or the plan?)

YESTEV HES GLOBERVET NES, CONSTROI TUVU LES MAKKA SESTRUI KOFROBTRV! TUTSU. (You better not mess this up, otherwise you will be in for the biggest reformatting of your life! End transmission)

56 signed yet again. A small light shown on the flash drive, signaling that the download was complete. The initial phase was done, so it was time for part two; a few weeks of radio silence, gathering intel and waiting for contact from Division. Phase one was the make it or break it for the mission. Infiltrating the base without alerting N.E.S.T that there was a spy among them, or that Division even existed. It's bad enough that MECH was after the same target. Phase two would be far easier, disappear among the base and gain their trust. The agent was already making headway on that. In fact, there were some interesting people that the agent was getting more _acquainted_ with or at least planning on such.

Although, 56 dreaded what came next. Flash drive in hand, the agent needed mental preparation before painfully swallowing the not-so-small object. It had been designed to be digestible, but that did not make it easy to shove down one's own throat. 56 silently left the comm room and went on through the N.E.S.T base like any other soldier.

-Scene Change-

Erin woke, ears filled with the silence of the early day. A soft light snuck its way between the aluminum blinds of her window. How aggravating. Her crusty eyes twitched at the assault of the unknowing sun. Even though it was early, Erin felt the heat of the day press down on her. A thin film of sweat made her starchy covers stick to her skin. It felt gross. Erin was not a morning person. While she whole heartedly disliked being up early, what she hated most of all was the obnoxious sound of an alarm. It was for this very reason that she learned to wake up exactly two minutes before her alarm went off, no matter what time it was set for, or what time zone she was in.

Before the unholy noise could come from her clock, she switched off the alarm and let out a half-relieved sigh. With a quick swing of her legs she untangled herself from the sheets and got so she could prepare for the day. She never took long, after all, why bother with things such as hair or make up when she was going to spend half her day working out?

With a straight uniform, Erin headed over to the mess hall, only half looking for Francis while she skipped the hot line to get oatmeal, a banana, and water. Before she could reach her intended seat, she caught the excited waving of none other than Franky. He was sitting at a table with Adam Walker. Erin sat down and curtly introduced herself to the curly haired man. He only nodded and continued to eat his meal, Erin got the impression that he did not mean to be rude. His eyes said 'hello', even though his mouth only lifted for a soft smile. She considered whether it was worth the effort to befriend him. Something about both Adam and Franky seemed… off.

Nevertheless, she and Franky began to chat amiably about whatever crossed the male's mind. Movies which Erin had never seen, places they both have gone, they even got into a mild debate about whether bacon is the best food. Erin admitted to being a heathen that would take a peach over bacon any day. Adam seemed to enjoy listening to them bicker. His eyes shone and he would nod along with whomever he seemed to agree with, which was mostly Erin. After about a half hour of talking under Adam's silent observance, they parted ways until their first training session.

Erin had no problem finding the hanger where they were to train. Especially with a giant black robot standing next to it, rolling his cannons threateningly at all the recruits. Erin could see who she recognized to be Captain Lennox near Ironhide, laughing at his antics. Ironhide rolled his eyes, optics? And shot Lennox a quick glare before he continued his intimidating.

It was time for Erin to pass the two on her way to the hanger. She gave a respectful nod to both and ignored the growl from Ironhide. Before she made it through, though, a giant foot/pede, stomped down in front of her. The ground shook slightly and dust kicked up into the air. The vibrations from the earth wracked her body as she tried desperately not to shake with fear. Ensuring her heart rate was normal, she looked up at the behemoth standing before her, mildly worried about what associating with the autobots would do to her neck. How did the other soldiers deal with always looking up like that?

"Is there something I can help you with?" Erin asked with a quirked eyebrow. ' _Keep calm'._

Ironhide rolled his cannons and gave a low growl. "I've hear you femme fleshies are considered weak among your species. Unfortunately for you I am of a different opinion, I expect you to prove me right."

Erin did not know whether that was an insult, a compliment, a threat, or all three. She gave a quick glance to Lennox who shrugged his shoulders with a smile. Erin returned her gaze to Ironhide and saluted. "Yes, sir."

He trained his optics on her for a few more seconds. "Good," he said with a nod, "now get your aft inside! I expect all you cog-suckers to be ready and at attention a breem ago!"

With one last salute to Lennox, Erin jogged inside and lined up with the others, between Adam and Franky at the latter's behest. She half listened, half observed while Ironhide spouted out threats and demeaning comments she did not entirely understand. After a long lecture that meant nothing more than 'don't annoy me', the soldiers began a brisk jog to the designated training grounds.

On the way to the courtyard where they would begin basic self-defense, against Ironhide, a huge city-scape came into view. Erin knew from the map she studied that it was a fake city street designed for autobots and more advanced soldiers to train in. It was a huge construction. The buildings were at least forty feet high, not skyscrapers, but still impressive for training grounds. She must have looked there for too long because Ironhide stopped the group and stared menacingly at her.

"Is your programing so basic, you can't keep that pit brained processor of yours focused?" he hounded out.

Erin chanced another glance at the group of soldiers outside the city scape. Among them were the 'bots Erin recognized as Arcee and Sideswipe. The latter was looking bored as he aimlessly glanced around. Erin remembered the night before and the scuffle between him and his brother. Her heart lurched a bit in fear.

"Are you listening, cannon-fodder?"

Erin glanced back to the now fuming autobot, trying to hide her disinterested look.

"If you are so fascinated by the thought of playing with the big 'bots," he quirked his head in the direction of the city and the soldiers getting ready to enter, "then let' see what you've got." He finished with a dark smirk.

Ironhide then dragged his pede over the ground, creating a line. The sound of metal scraping against hard earth was not too pleasant but Erin managed not to wince. He stepped in front of it and made a 'come here' motion with one of his fingers. "Get past this line and I'll let you take a little field trip, fail and you'll do double all exercises today. Refuse and it'll be for the week!"

Well crap. Erin knew that, despite his large size which would normally be cumbersome, he was used to working with humans and would easily be able to stop one. She got in a ready stance while Ironhide patiently waited for her. She studied his form, ready and crouching low. He was most likely going to try and catch her as she passed. She looked at how he balanced his hips and shifted slightly on the ground. She looked at his optics and saw where he expected her to run. Erin even noticed how he favored his right side, even though he did well at hiding it. She remembered her observations from the day before. Looks like those will come in handy.

Quickly, Ironhide's hand transformed into a gun and shot at Erin. She skillfully rolled to the side, dodging the beanbag which skidded past her. She waited two more seconds before making her move. She veered in a slight curve towards his left and waited for the moment just before he moved… There! She jumped farther left. Ironhide anticipated the attempted dodge, quickly adjusting to meet her new destination. Exactly what she was planning on.

In battle, anticipating the opponent's move is critical. Knowing how the opponent might adjust is a well-earned skill. However, in reaction to a change in the opponent's trajectory or goal, there is a moment in which the opponent may change again while the other is still adjusting. Trusting this principal, Erin again changed her trajectory making a sharp hook and headed straight for Ironhide. With a leap, she flipped over his sweeping hand and landed on his left pede. She quickly jumped off and ran between his legs to skid over the finish line. Rather than taking the moment to revel in her victory, she got back in a ready stance, prepared for any form of retribution.

Ironhide quickly turned around and assessed her. He gave a guttural growl before nodding. He liked to nod. "Very well then, a deal's a deal." He glanced at the other recruits among him. "What are you waiting for cog-suckers! Move to training ground four!"

The group continued their jog, this time heading towards the mock city. Erin could feel the stares of the others boring into her from all sides. Once they reached the buildings they were greeted by the group of advanced soldiers and two autobots, apparently she had a larger audience than first anticipated.

Well, there was no sticking to the crowd now, was there? A plan started to form in her head. If she was going to be noticed, she had to make it big. Erin smiled to herself when she saw the interested look in Sideswipe's optics. That would do.

 **So I decided to make the main character strong, She would have to be if she'll eventually catch the twins' attentions, especially Sunstreaker. This is a fanfiction so just imagine there is a human with the ability to take on cybertronians in some capacity, besides using advanced weapons. What's the point of all the training if they never use it? Also, dun dun dun! Our main bad guy is here! There identity may or may not have been revealed already. As the story progresses, please feel free to make guesses as to who it may be.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks to everyone who favorited/followed/reviewed! Onto the next chapter!**

 **I do not own Transformers.**

Chapter 4

Sideswipe wheeled forward a bit upon picking Erin out of the crowd of humans. He paused, hesitation visible in his visage. Erin could understand why, their last meeting had been less than ideal. She nodded, to him, which seemed to lighten his mood.

The silver mech returned Erin's nod but addressed Ironhide first, "Scaring the scrap out of the recruits yet? Or are you too busy getting you aft kicked by a little human?" His gaze returned to Erin.

"The femme only got lucky." The bulkier mech reasoned. "I won't go as easy on her next time."

The silver bot knelt to be closer to Erin's eyelevel. Everyone else seemed to be forgotten. "Sorry about last night. Are you alright? I was worried when you ran off." He gave a sincere look that made Erin think of a puppy asking to be let inside after it started to rain.

Erin nodded dismissively, "I'm fine, I just got the sense your brother did not want me around, so I left." She said plainly. This was at least a partial truth. She could remember how his glare could have bored holes into her and he was rather dismissive of her safety during the twin's little 'scuffle'. That is if he wasn't trying to hit her in the first place. The aching on her side screamed for her to say otherwise. Dodging around Ironhide must have woken up whatever bruising the had obtained from the yellow mech.

"I'm glad, really." He smiled and gave an unreadable look. In fact, Erin could not get much off him. The way he moved and expressed himself, outwardly it was readable like a neon sign, however, she had a feeling that he was far less obvious than one might assume.

"You could… make it up to me." Erin glanced at the street in front of her, an idea forming on how to make a lasting impression on both the soldiers and 'bots.

Sideswipe followed her gaze and a mischievous grin crossed his faceplates. "Hey Ironhide," his head beckoned to the cityscape behind him as he spoke to the mech, "How about I get a shot with her?"

"I never said I wanted her dead, aft-head! Why do you think I would let you lose on a recruit?"

"Cause I owe it to her." He looked down to Erin, "Don't worry, I'll go easy on you."

"Why, how gentlemanly." She all but growled.

Sideswipe only seemed invigorated by her response. "Don't worry Ironhide, the femme can handle it."

"I. Said. No." The larger 'bot stood his ground under the pleading gaze of the younger 'bot.

"Ironhide." Erin interjected, "I'm not one to back down from a challenge." She said as softly as she could, so as not to sound demanding.

"Fine! If you want to join the scrap heap your second day here, be my guest." He barked back.

Sideswipe smiled and started wheeling into the street. "Arcee'll explain the rules."

The femme-bot sighed and shook her head. "This is not going to end well." She knelt to Erin and met her gaze. "You know he's one of the strongest warriors the autobots have, even Prime would hesitate to take him on."

Erin only smirked and nodded.

"Fine, it's your smelting day." She returned to a standing position on her one wheel and asked one of the soldiers among her for a weapon. She then handed it to Erin. "This is basically a really strong paintball gun. The splatters are traceable, so if you hit a vital spot, we'll know. Your objective is to find the dummy among the rubble, it will represent an injured teammate. Pull the dummy out of the marked perimeter without getting hit by Sideswipe, who will be acting as a decepticon. He'll be firing at you with both paint balls and bean bags. Although they are not deadly, the ammo still comes from his own blaster so if you get hit, you'll more than feel it. Get hit, and your considered dead. After rescuing the teammate, attempt to take Sideswipe out, not that you'll get that far." She threw the last part over her shoulder as she ushered the humans and Ironhide away from the street entrance. "Oh, and by the way, the field is set up with cameras, we'll be able to see whatever you do. Don't blame me if your utter defeat goes viral among the base."

Erin, not missing a beat, sprinted in, a plan already forming in her head as she took in her surroundings. Once she was past the first couple of buildings, she recognized how the 'city' was designed to look partially like a warzone. There were blasted buildings and charred cars littering the streets. Erin found Sideswipe standing in the middle of a large clearing. She hid behind an upside-down truck, one which must have once been a usable military vehicle. She counted the cars, estimated the distance between buildings, and observed Sideswipe's movements. She noticed how he would continuously glance to a certain area, by a building that had basically been torn in half with its rubble littering across the street. That must be where the dummy was. She continued to look around to see large pieces of concrete littering the ground, along with construction equipment. A boat was resting on a trailer near her. The buildings around them seemed to be practically empty. She spotted a couple of buckets and a twisted ladder. This training ground must have once been a usable area under construction, Erin mildly wondered what happened to it. She looked up to note the windows and ledges. The building behind Sideswipe was void of an exterior wall and scaffolding snaked its way up from the second floor. A plan formed in her head as she got ready to move.

She ducked away from the overturned truck and stealthily moved to the boat, hoping it had something of use. Silently, she climbed in, careful to avoid Sideswipe's gaze. Erin hoped that whatever scanners these 'bots possessed would not pick her up. Inside the small boat was a length of rope along with a life preserver tied to some thinner rope. Quickly, Erin gathered the rope up and removed the string from the white and red preserver. Erin jumped out of the board and headed to the truck that the boat was hitched to. She tied the rope to the grill and carried the other end ten yards to a tow truck while Sideswipe was turned away. The opened hood of the truck had given Erin an idea that might help her take down the silver mech. She ran the string through parts of the engine and tied it off to the other end of the rope. She jumped through the opening to the cockpit- since there was no door. Quickly, Erin started to hotwire the truck. She left a piece of concrete as a pin in-between the two components that would snap together and create the electrical current, making sure the piece was visible through the side window.

She headed to the end of the street, where a building sat with all windows blasted out. She quietly sneaked through one of the windows. The entire time she kept a careful eye on Sideswipe who slowly seemed to be getting bored. He was aimlessly wheeling around, searching for her. Erin had to remind herself that there may be more than meets the eye with him. He was _secretly_ unreadable. Erin checked her sights through the rifle. The stone was visible to her if she stood at eye level. In between her and the truck was the window sill an army jeep, and a two lane street. She dropped her rifle and prepared for the rescue mission.

She headed through the building to the opposite side of the street, and saw her target laying, half buried in rubble. She grabbed one of the loose chunks of concrete and threw it across the street while Sideswipe was looking the other way. The noise caught his attention and he quickly wheeled over. Erin took the opportunity to jet in and out of the open area to be closer to her target. She hid back in an open-faced building before Sideswipe had a chance to turn around.

Erin prepared herself with another chunk of concrete in one hand. She quickly threw the concrete in a similar direction to the first one. Erin jumped out of her hiding place. She expertly tied the hands and feet of the dummy together and lugged it over her shoulders. She again disappeared through the building. The outside perimeter was marked by a series of small red flags. The weight of the dummy slowed Erin down, put she still managed to run it past the flags and drop the heap.

Snaking her way back through the rubble, she found her place back where she had left her rifle.

She saw Sideswipe investigating where the dummy once was. His glances were shooting in every direction. After a second he his hand transformed into what appeared to be a cannon.

Erin carefully aimed for the stone pin. A small pop sounded from her gun as the paintball successfully shot the rock away.

 _2 seconds_

She trained her sights on Sideswipe's faceplates, ready to strike from her new position, practically under her wandering target.

Within a half second Erin let out two quick shots, the first one hit dead on in Sideswipe's left optic, the second almost missed its mark and only hit the corner of the other optic. It would be enough to momentarily blind him, however. Matching with Erin's timing, the rope snapped into sink with the quickly rotating engine and a boat adorned truck skidded directly behind Sideswipe. Blinded, he attempted to wheel back but tripped over the new mass. The second he began to lose his balance; Erin took the opportunity to leap from her hiding place. She used the window sill as leverage to leap up onto the jeep and again jump up, straight to the autobot as massive blades slid out of his wrists, waving around franticly for balance.

With an 'oof' she landed on his chassis and with one hand, desperately gripped his chest plating, and used the other to shove the rifle's barrel into the small opening at the bottom of his chest plating, pushing it straight in the direction of his center or 'spark' as they called it. Erin braced for the impact as they both came crashing down.

After a second, the dust began to settle and Sideswipe's optics seemed to clear. Erin did not move from her spot, waiting for realization to sink in for the silver 'bot. He stared down his chassis, an astonished look on his faceplates. Erin had beaten him.

A few long seconds passed before Erin took Sideswipe's stillness as a sign of surrender. She dislodged the gun and jumped off the 'bot, bending her knees with the impact of the ground. She walked towards the exit, only giving a sideways glance back at the still frozen autobot. "Thanks for going easy on me." She shot back before reaching an equally astonished viewing crowd. Several soldiers and autobots had joined the initial group and they were all staring at her.

She tried hard to calm her beating heart and quick pulse before the 'bot's sensitive scanners noticed.

Erin looked up to Ironhide and asked, "What's next, _sir_?"

He only needed a half second to recompose himself. "Impressive, Ms. Brook. However, against a 'con, you wouldn't have an opportunity for all that… flair." He glanced back at the other recruits, staring with mouths agape. "What are you weak-willed cog-suckers gawking at? Training ground one, double time!"

With Ironhide's thunderous voice snapping everyone out of their collective daze, the recruits fearfully ran to the designated location. Erin began to follow when she felt an odd tingling sensation overtake her body. She turned around to see a yellow autobot looming over her. Erin remembered his name was Ratchet, the chief medical officer of the autobots. His eyes flashed green for a second and Erin felt the strong tingling sensation again. Was he scanning her?

"What are you doing?" she raised an eyebrow, openly displaying her annoyance.

"Scanning to determine whether your mental processes are defective due to a head injury or plain stupidity." The intensity of the scan seemed to increase, making Erin dizzy and nauseous. "While you do show evidence of severe scarring and several healed bone fractures, including a couple to your skull, there is no evidence of permanent brain damage." He concluded, skill seeming unconvinced.

"Good to know." She stated sarcastically, stepping away to join the quickly retreating group behind her.

Ratchet looked up to face Ironhide, "What were you thinking letting the youngling take on Sideswipe?"

In the odd encounter with the medic, Erin had not realized that Ironhide had not left with the recruits and stood directly behind her. She suddenly felt claustrophobic sandwiched between the two giants.

"The youngling has tough struts. Besides, if things got out of hand, I would have intervened." He gruffly replied with a nod of confidence.

"Out of hand like Sideswipe unsheathing his blades against a recruit?" Ratchet questioned.

Erin snuck out from between the two bots and once again attempted a retreat to the other training field. This time she was stopped by none other than Sideswipe himself. He skated directly in front of her, an odd look in his optics that Erin couldn't name. It quickly disappeared, however, as a large grin overtook his faceplates.

"That was awesome," after a second of thought he added, "for a human."

"Thanks but I gotta get going." She was starting to feel rattled with all the giant feet surrounding her but did not want to show weakness. Erin scooted past the fascinated 'bot and finally made her way to rejoin her group.

She heard a transformation sequence and Ironhide barreled past her, throwing back a, "get a move on, human!". Erin chanced a quick glance back behind her. She saw Ratchet, walking in the opposite direction but looking back at her. The humans seemed to be speaking with Arcee. Sideswipe stood where Erin left him, watching her leave. She turned her head back and sped her pace towards the field.

She thought hard about Ironhide's words. Yes, she beat Sideswipe, but it took too much time. She was going to have to get stronger if she was ever going to face these cybertronians head on. That was all that mattered.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone. I would like to quickly thank you for your support/favs/follows/reviews. You're the best!**

 **I do not own transformers, it wish I did, but I don't.**

Chapter 5

Sunstreaker sat on his berth, clean after a long time in the washracks. He was applying wax to his yellow finish. The feeling always calmed him down. He was not a fan of this planet or its inhabitance, but at least they made good cleaning products. This particular brand of wax was his favorite; he had read about it in one of his automotive magazines and ordered a few boxes of it. Both he and Sideswipe had their own reading choices loaded onto personal data pads. Sideswipe tended to look at ridiculous comics. He even had a small collection of print comics he had somehow obtained, not that they were easy to read. Sunstreaker kept his focus on more beautiful things such as magazines about high end vehicles and art. He particularly liked the ones about acrylic and oil painting.

He knew that this calmness would not last long. Even he admitted he had some… mild temperament issues. Especially when his fragging brother pushed his buttons! Sunstreaker let out a sigh as he thought about their last argument. Not that he cared too much, but he never meant to involve the squishy. He was lucky Prowl didn't come after him. She must not have said anything, even after he accidentally hit her. At least she was well enough to run away once she got the chance. At least she seemed to have survival instincts. While it was an accident, had the human gone off and reported them, they would have spent joors in the brig for harming a squishy.

After their fight, Sunstreaker had stalked off to fix his newly earned scratches. Sides did not return until after he had fallen into recharge and he left quickly the next morning to get to a training session. Sunstreaker, however, had the day off. Usually, he and Sides did everything together, but he only rarely worked with the squishies. Apparently, they did not fully trust him around them. Good. He hated the whole fraggin' species!

Sunstreaker finished his waxing and sat idly on his berth. He still had not spoken with Sides yet. Should he apologize? Would Sideswipe? Sunstreaker hardly ever admitted fault, and when he did it was brief. Sideswipe always knew not to push the subject after that. He would just smile and say everything's good. Lost in thought he almost did not notice his twin coming into their berth room. Almost, being the key word. He burst in and Sunstreaker felt him throw a flurry of emotions through the bond, mainly excitement and confusion.

"Sunny, you'll never guess what happened!" he shouted as he wheeled up to Sunstreaker.

"Ratchet finally fixed whatever was wrong with your processor?" he shot back. "And don't call me that!"

"Very funny, aft-head. That femme from last night, remember her?"

That squishy again! Sunstreaker growled a warning at his brother who pointedly ignored it.

"She totally kicked my aft today! Well, I could have beaten her, if I was able to use my real weapons or full force, but she set up this whole rope thing and I didn't even see her coming!" he was excited and when Sides got like this he was nearly impossible to understand.

"Slow down, what are you talking about?" Sunstreaker raised his hands in a 'calm down' gesture.

Sides quickly sent him a data pack with the day's events. Sunstreaker could not help but feel mildly impressed by the squishy's performance. Sides, of course, felt this over their twin bond and his grin grew.

"I like this femme, Sunny. I think she could be a lot of fun."

"Don't call me th- wait, what!" the yellow frontliner could not believe his audio-receptors. "What are you talking about?"

"I mean, she's gonna qualify for Team Prime no problem, why don't _we_ work with her?"

How could he even be thinking this? "And why would I want to work with some squishy femme?" At this point Sunstreaker was fuming.

"Well," Sides raised his fingers with each point he made, "Prime says we gotta start working better with the humans, she's got skill so she won't get in our way, and Prowl might brig us less if we're actually on Team Prime." He smiled as if he had just created a fool proof plan.

"You want _me_ to work with a squishy just so _you_ can get away with more pranks?" he stared incredulously at his brother, not sure how to feel. Eventually he settled on rage as it began to boil up until Sides sent calming feelings over the bond. He growled, "I want nothing to do with the squishy, understand?"

"But-"

"End of discussion!"

Sides stared at his brother for a few clicks before he dramatically sighed, " _Alright_ , if you want nothing to do with her, then I won't push it onto you." With that said, Sides laid down in his berth and pulled out a data pad.

"Really?"

"Really."

"That's it?"

"Yup." Sides added an obnoxious 'pop' with the 'p'.

Sunstreaker tried to root through what his brother was thinking, but his side of the bond was closed. Sides gave him a knowing grin as Sunstreaker quickly pulled away. The yellow mech knew something was off. Sides never gave up so easily, especially when he had the opportunity to annoy Sunstreaker. He kept a weary gaze on his brother as he continued his waxing.

-Scene Change-

After the initial shock of her defeating Sideswipe, the rest of the day seemed to go by normally for Erin. As normally as it can get when learning to fight giant alien robots. At first, she and the other recruits were tested on their athletic abilities. This included running, pushups, pull ups, crunches, and obstacle course speed. Erin once again defied expectations when she could match or beat the best scores in her group. At this point it was no secret that she was both fit and skilled. For this reason, Ironhide decided that, during combat training, she would participate in the demonstrations.

For that day, they mostly went over weak spots on a cybertronian and how to attack them. Erin was surprised that the autobots would share such sensitive secrets, even if it was with allies. This information could easily be turned against them. Of course, they probably only shared what an organic would be capable of figuring out after a while and kept the best secrets to remain among their own kind. They may be allies, but they are also too different to fully trust one another. Nevertheless, the soldier absorbed all the information Ironhide provided.

Erin admitted that she noticed how Ironhide favored one of his hips over the other and that was how she got past him. He praised her for her observation skills and challenged her to identify more weak points, ones that would work for most cybertronians. The optics were her first choice, and an obvious answer after her match with Sideswipe. She also noted how the bots seemed to be top-heavy so catching them off balance would give a human the advantage. With this she said that there seems to be less armor covering the bot's legs and arms. Also, since the armor is likely designed with a similar sized opponent in mind, attacking from directly above or below the bots would likely yield the best results. She stated that this thinking was the reason why she shoved the barrel of her rifle up the underside of Sideswipe's chassis, instead of directly through one of the crevasses near his spark.

Ironhide commended Erin's quick thinking and ingenuity. It was beginning to be apparent that he favored her other the other humans among her. Either that, or he knew yelling at her would not have much of an effect so he didn't bother and saved the verbal abuses for the others. A stern look or shake of the head had an equal affect to being called a 'strutless meat sack' or 'cannon-snack'. Erin even managed to keep calm whenever the large mech aimed a glowing cannon at her. She would do what he wanted, obey his orders, but would not yield to her fear of him.

After a long day of training, the men all but collapsed after Ironhide declared the session over. Erin began to walk away when he stepped up to her. Dust spread slightly as his pedes hit the earth.

"Is there something you need, sir?" she craned her neck to give him a questioning look.

He knelt to save her from the uncomfortable position, which Erin was grateful for. "Your skills are quite impressive for a youngling." His optics seemed to spin for a second before they narrowed, "However your service record is vague, there are no details of your previous training, only that you enlisted four earth years ago. N.E.S.T does extensive research on all the recruits, yet your records are blocked."

Erin understood the question in his statement. She had to tread carefully. "My service record is blocked because of the classified materials it holds. I received specialized experimental training. If you checked my records, then you must have seen the recommendation by Colonel Bishop."

"Yes, as I understand it he is a highly respected officer who does not offer praise often."

"His recommendation allowed any gaps in my history to be… overlooked."

"If you were special ops, why come to N.E.S.T? We have not recruited anyone like you before." He seemed frustrated in not knowing.

"I am here at the personal request of Colonel Bishop; I was not privy to his reasoning."

Ironhide stood up to his full height, effectively shading Erin from the sun. "Walk with me, will you?" his demeanor had changed so drastically from earlier. His voice was smoother, barely, but Erin could notice it. She felt obliged to accept his request.

Ironhide walked slowly to match Erin's pace, he stood close enough to keep their conversation somewhat private, but far enough so she would not have to strain her neck to see him. At first, they walked in silence, he seemed to be slowly leading her towards the main hanger. It was a peaceful silence. Ironhide's footsteps boomed over her own, but the rhythm was anything but bothersome. She felt calm, even in the giant's presence.

Eventually Ironhide broke Erin from her thoughts, "You've seen combat, haven't you?" The question was not sympathetic; it was for mere confirmation.

"Yes." Erin decided to keep her answer vague. It was true, she had seen combat. Not nearly as much as a centuries old autobot fighting in a centuries old war, but she had still seen what happens in a real fight.

"Are you fearful?" again his voice was even.

"Yes." She responded with an equally calm tone.

A sudden shout of laughter erupted from the autobot. "Ha! Good femme, very good." He sobered a bit before continuing, "Fear keeps you alive. Fear for your own life encourages self-preservation and fear for those you love fuels your desire to fight. Some mechs think that being fearless makes you stronger, I used to think along the same lines. But not feeling anything makes you no more than a drone and in a war like this, we need soldiers."

Erin tried to wrap her head around what he said. Ironhide did not seem like an overly emotional bot. She still had trouble with the concept that these robots could even feel emotions. They were after all, machines. She had learned that cutting all emotion was the key to strength, and it had served her well so far. Her survival was a testament to that. Just then Erin heard a small squeal, "I-won-hide!" She turned to see a small girl, around four or five years old run to Ironhide. He immediately scooped her into his massive hand and held her closer to his face. She could not help but marvel at the spectacle before her.

His optics automatically lit up at the sight of the small girl giggling in his hand. They looked softer and gentle, if that was possible. He spoke softly to her, "Hello, Annabelle. I did not realize you were coming to the base today." With a glance, around, looking for something, he added, "I would have preferred knowing about your arrival, so I can make sure those troublesome twins are locked up in the brig." He finished with a growl.

Annabelle giggled again, "Sunstreaker is grumpy."

His optics returned to the small form in his hand. "Yes, he's grumpy and dangerous. Stay away from him."

The little girl nodded, "Stay away from Sunny, Sides, and red eyes."

Erin was caught off guard at first by the statement. Did Ironhide have it out for the twins? Then again, she remembered her own encounter with the pair. She was not sure what to think of Sideswipe, but she was undoubtedly scared of Sunstreaker. He was powerful and dismissive of her, a dangerous combination in a 'comrade'. Thinking of Sideswipe, Erin knew she felt guarded around him, something seemed off. She did not think it was just because he was a giant alien robot, because she did not feel the same wariness around Ironhide. Not that she wasn't cautious around that mech either. He was still an alien robot, after all. This girl on the other hand, Annabelle, did not even blink when Ironhide picked her up.

The mech nodded and knelt to let the girl jump off his hand. When she did, a woman ran up to the three.

"Annabelle, don't run off!" she berated the child before addressing Ironhide, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you we were coming. I was just dropping off a package for Will. She wasn't even supposed to leave the car." The woman finished the sentence with a quick glare at who Erin assumed to be her daughter.

Ironhide chuckled, "And why would you think Annabelle would sit idly by rather than visit her favorite mech?"

The woman shook her head at the bot before noticing Erin standing awkwardly to the side. Ironhide followed her gaze and seemed to remember the mysterious recruit.

"Ms. Brook, this is Sarah and Annabelle Lennox, Will's wife and daughter. They are both my charges." He explained proudly. Turning back to Sarah he said, "This is Private Erin Brook, I believe she is a promising candidate for Team Prime."

This caught Erin's attention. That must have been why he wanted to speak with her.

"It's very nice to meet you Ms. Brook, please call me Sarah." The woman kindly extended a hand which Erin took.

Not knowing what else to do, she nodded and returned the greeting.

"Can I pway with Iwonhide?" Annabelle pulled on her mother's pant leg with anticipation.

"Ironhide is busy, hon-"

"I always have time for Annabelle." The weapons specialist grunted. Erin could not believe her eyes. He was putty for the three-and-a-half-foot girl. She couldn't help but smile when the little girl squealed, excited at the prospect of playing with the autobot. "I can watch her and return her in the evening."

Sarah gave a grateful sigh, "You sure it's not a problem." She questioned.

"How many times have I watched over Annabelle now?" he scoffed.

"How many times have you kept her out past her bed time?" the small woman placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow. The behemoth seemed to shy away a little under her gaze. Erin struggled not to laugh. Sarah must be the reason why Ironhide thought women were tough. She was the boss. He could have easily ignored her or even pushed the tiny woman to the side, instead he nodded respectfully. This was a truly odd sight.

"I will return her before eight o'clock, fed and ready for recharge." He promised.

Erin began to shy away from the three others, she felt rather out of place. The little girl caught her movement and skipped over to her.

"Hi, I'm Annabelle! You a soldier? You work with daddy? Oh! You work with Iwonhide? Do you want to pway with me and Iwonhide?" she excitedly jumped up and down as she drilled out the questions.

"Uh…" Erin looked to Sarah for help but the woman was already leaving. She then glanced to Ironhide, her last saving grace. He nearly fell over with laughter at the face Erin was making. She had no idea how to respond to the child. What does she say? She knows children tend to be less logical, especially those who grow up with 'creative freedom'. The girl was weak so she must be limited in the games she could participate in… Why was she even considering playing with the child? Perhaps it was the pleading look in her eyes.

"None of the boys want to pway with me." The girl seemed to see Erin's apprehension. The admission made her feel a twinge of guilt.

"Well…"

"Annabelle, please let the poor girl go. Yes, she is a soldier, and as such she has many responsibilities that she must attend to." Ironhide shot a quick wink to Erin, he had her back. The girl finally released Erin's arm, which she was holding like it was her favorite thing in the world. "We will continue our conversation at a later time Ms. Brook."

Erin nodded in response and shot a quick salute to which Ironhide nodded. She left, grateful to have gotten away from the unstable ball of energy and while Ironhide did not seem too bad, she was still apprehensive about spending time around the giant. Her relief doubled as she heard the girl beg Ironhide to play hide-and-go-seek to which the mech whole-heartedly agreed.

That was one disaster adverted.

-Scene Change-

Erin felt sweat dripping off her face at an even rate. It was the perfect opportunity to clear her head. Was she doing everything right? She sure was getting a lot of attention. At first, she wanted to make a strong impression, but she was having second thoughts. After all, she was only twenty two, how could she be too sure of her decisions? It felt good, working her stresses away. Kicking Sideswipe's ass, or aft, also felt pretty good. She felt strong again. Erin knew she was far from perfect, her combat ability was superb, but her personality was somewhat, underdeveloped. Was she really right for the job?

At present, Erin was balanced on two fingers, keeping her legs straight in the air. Her free arm was bend behind her back with a balled fist, helping her to keep balance. The aching pain in her fingers and arm were forgotten as blood rushed to her head. She kept her eyes closed, counting the seconds and minutes. The cooling breeze was a welcome relief over her sweating form.

Just as Erin's thoughts began to melt away into serene calmness, a loud and dramatic sigh sounded from a few feet away. She nearly lost her balance due to the shock. Someone had snuck up on her, someone who should be too big and loud to do so. Remaining upside down, Erin glanced out of one eye to see the notorious prankster sitting Indian-style with his head resting on a hand.

"You've been doing this forever. Aren't you tired, or _bored_?" he let out another overly dramatic sigh.

Still disconcerted by his sneaking up on her, Erin tried to play it cool. "Why are you here?" she closed her eyes again, trying to center herself.

"Can't I just want a little chat?" he asked, playfully sounding hurt.

"And what would you possibly want to chat about?" Erin huffed back. Her arm was beginning to bow slightly under her weight. She had been balancing like that for at least ten minutes.

"You."

Erin's arm gave out, she tried to make it look purposeful, smoothly landing on her feet and standing tall. Sideswipe did not seem to see through her little ruse. "And what is so interesting about me?" she inquired with a quirked eyebrow.

"Well it's not every day that I get my aft handed to me. Besides," he added with a sly grin, "It's not every day I'm topped by a femme, that's usually my role."

Erin did her best to keep a straight face. She'd been flirted with many times before, but never by a giant robotic alien with a goofy lopsided grin. "Had it been a real battle, you would've won. You were limited in the weapons you could use. In a combat situation, you would have just blasted wherever you thought I was."

He shook his head. "I could have won, but there would be no guarantee. I think you have more tricks up your sleeve, as you humans say. You did a pretty fair job at tricking me, even when you were in an unfamiliar location and had little time to analyze the situation or your surroundings. Plus, you did it entirely _alone_. Even I don't go into combat without Sunny, unless the situation truly calls for it."

Erin considered his statement. "Well, what about it? So I can fight, what's so interesting about that?"

"Where did you get your training?" He leaned forward. Even while he was sitting, the bot still loomed far over her.

She willed herself not to lean back in his presence. "That's classified. It was experimental military training and I can say nothing more about it." She stated firmly.

The grin on his faceplates faded a bit. "You, my little femme, need to loosen up a bit." He added in a raised pitch, "I can help you with that."

Erin only stared at him, waiting for him to explain.

"What if we teamed up in a combat unit and work for Team Prime?" he asked excitedly, bouncing his knees.

In all honesty, Erin wanted to be on Team Prime. She had no intention of fading into the background with other soldiers. Rising in the ranks would be how she could get stuff done. Sideswipe could be her in. "I'd be interested. What would this unit consist of?"

"You, me, and my twin."

"Sunstreaker?"

Sideswipe's confidence seemed to deflate a little. "Yes, him."

"From what I heard, he doesn't exactly like humans."

"Nobody's perfect."

"Last time I saw him he nearly crushed me without a single care." She crossed her arms and gave him a pointed glare.

"I am sorry about that; it was my fault. I provoked him."

Even if he was provoked, the event still proved the yellow mech was a loose cannon. Was this opportunity worth it to her? "I'll think about it. Are you even sure that a newbie like me can get on Team Prime that easily?" she chose not to mention Ironhide's earlier comments.

He attempted a soothing tone, "Let me take care of everything. Just, think about it, okay? Maybe I could arrange a test run." He quickly stood to his full height and gave Erin a nod which she returned. Sideswipe then transformed into his corvette form and shot off, increasing to incredible speeds as he turned a corner far in the distance.

Erin watched him go. Was it really worth it?

-Scene Change-

Ironhide watched Annabelle with tender optics while she sat with her hands feeling through the sand. He knew that she loved its welcoming warmth. That was why he had brought her to the beach. After she played in the water, under his supervision of course, and he helped her build a sandcastle- which was seven feet tall- young Annabelle was tired and happily amusing herself with small fistfuls of sand.

Seeing her slouch, Ironhide thought it must be time to take her home. First though… from a small compartment in his wrist- all of his real subspaces where full of weapons- he pulled a small tin. He always kept snacks for when he would watch Annabelle. He had promised Sarah Lennox that he would return Annabelle fully fed, and fed she would be.

Wordlessly, he offered her the container which she happily took while squeaking a little 'thank you'. The sparkling mulled over her options before munching on a carrot with some crackers in her other hand. Although Ironhide would not judge the humans for their natural diets, he could never will himself to carry animal products of any kind with him. It was just a bit _too_ disturbing.

They settled back into a peaceful silence. While Annabelle was known for her energy, it was, in fact, not boundless. Ironhide was often amused by how quickly she could drop after talking and running a mile a minute as the humans would say.

In his careful watching of Annabelle, Ironhide's sensors failed to pick up a certain silver mech skating up.

"Hey'a 'Hide, Anna." An annoyingly cheerful voice spoke up behind the pair. Ironhide wasn't even willing to suppress his upset sigh.

"Hi Sides!" Annabelle replies, still munching on her snack.

Ironhide let out a low, warning grunt to the other mech before sending a soft glare to Annabelle. She knew to avoid Sideswipe. It wasn't that Ironhide hated the fragger, it's just that he would never trust him with the safety of someone so fragile. Aside from that, he was a negative influence on her.

The sparkling just gave him an innocent smile.

"What do you want?" Ironhide questioned, voice riddled with protective aggression.

The young front liner put his hands up defensively. "I just want to talk. I'm sure you're just as interested as I am in that new human femme."

"Whatever you're planning, leave the youngling alone." Ironhide turned back to his charge, intent on ending the conversation there.

"I'm not planning anything! I just appreciate her talents."

A wide-eyed Annabelle spoke up, "Are you talking about Erwin?"

"It's Erin, Annabelle." Ironhide corrected.

"The sparkling's intuitive." Sideswipe commented with a dumb smile. He knelt to gently brush some hair away from her face.

Ironhide did not stop him, for fear of hurting Annabelle. All of the autobots liked Annabelle. Even Sunstreaker admitted that she was 'acceptable', although she was not allowed to actually touch him. Bumblebee was the youngest known cybertronian that was still alive and he was already in his final frame, although he only got it a few years prior to his arrival on Earth. Sparklings were like a miracle to the 'bots, even if they were human. To watch one develop was precious to them. Their care for Annabelle was only amplified by their respect for her creators. While humans were considered young by cybertronian standards, Sarah Lennox was akin to a femme creator to most of them. She was naturally caring an eagerly educated the 'bots on how to better interact with humans. They were always welcome to visit her home on the base. William Lennox was the human they respected the most, though. The drive with which he fought for, and alongside, the 'bots helped quell some of the doubts they had about the species. On top of that, both the Lennox's had welcomed Ironhide into their lives.

Even though all the 'bots loved the tiny human sparkling, Ironhide was incredibly protective over her, it was only natural as her guardian.

"Just what do you want with the femme?" Ironhide ground out, wanting Sideswipe to leave.

Said mech gave him an eager smile. "I think she should team up with Sunny and I."

"No fragging way."

Annabelle piped in, "What does fra-"

"It's a bad word, don't repeat it… Especially in front of your carrier." Ironhide quickly explained.

She blinked up at him. "Oh. Ok, so it's like sla-"

" _Annabelle_."

Sideswipe seemed a little taken aback by Ironhide's downright refusal. "Just like that? You won't even consider it?"

"No." Ironhide gently picked up Annabelle. "Come, sparkling, it's time for me to return you to your creators."

Sideswipe skated in the black mech's path, although the sand slowed him. "Just hear me out, ok? This is not part of some maniacal plan!"

Annabelle spoke up, "What's minical?"

"Maniacal." Ironhide corrected again. "It means to exhibit extremely wild behavior."

The silver mech sighed. "Look 'Hide, Prime's always on Sunny and my aft about not dealin' with the fleshies. Well, here's a human I think we can get along with." He added with a smirk, "And she may even be tough enough to handle Sunshine's mood swings."

"That's exactly what I don't want to put to the test. The femme would be crazy to team up with you two." He shook his helm. "Let me guess, you haven't even spoken with her yet?"

"Actually… I did. She said she's think about it." he rubbed the back of his neck in a very human gesture.

"She said no, didn't she?"

"Not exactly…"

"Look youngling, to be honest, I wanted to recommend her for Team Prime. However, it is still too early. Give it a couple of orns, try not to terrify the femme, and I'll _consider_ it."

Sideswipe flashed a smile before giving a lazy salute to both Ironhide and Annabelle. "Sure thing 'Hide!" He then skated off, flinging sand in the air as he went.

"I'm gonna regret this." Ironhide mumbled to himself.

"Probably." Annabelle smartly added.

He gave her a knowing grin before walking away from the ocean and towards the road. "Now young one," he began, "it was 'avoid Sunny, _whom_ , and red eyes'?"

-Scene Change-

Optimus sat in his office, grateful for a few moments of quiet. He had been in meetings all day, just as he was practically every day. The sheer amount of red tape and paper work required for the littlest of things was astounding. Although, what he considers little might be different from a human's perspective.

Of course, when Ironhide proposes complicated and expensive set ups for training, there is little issue with budgeting and construction. However, when Ratchet requests certain medical materials or Prowl attempts to order supplies for new berthing, it takes an entire committee hours to decide whether the request should even be approved. This does not include budget negotiations, deciding where the materials would come from, and getting an exorbitant number of permits. Optimus thought he might go mad when he was trying to get the autobot wash racks approved.

Nevertheless, he did his job diligently, walking the boundary between advocate for his species and warrior on the battlefield. He did, however, enjoy a mental rest from time to time. If only a certain Second in Command could sense his need for said rest.

Optimus heard two sharp knocks on his door. "Come in, Prowl." The autobot leader made sure he had regained his composure before his SIC entered.

"Prime, I have come to provide a security report." The Praxian stated, door wings held high.

Optimus nodded for him to continue. Prowl stepped fully into the mech-sized office and closed the door behind him.

"Things seem to be mostly quiet on the decepticon front, but not so quiet that I would feel alarmed. We have spotted some activity near Alsace, France. Captain Lennox is currently seeking approval to send a human team to start an initial investigation into the reports two days from now. We both feel that it would be wise, however, to send one mech with them. I recommend Arcee for the task."

Optimus nodded, "A wise choice, I will declare my approval to Captain Lennox. Please, continue."

Prowl's door wings dropped ever so slightly as well as his faceplates. "Sideswipe seems to be at it again. Have you seen the fliers he displayed throughout the base?"

Optimus fought to hold back an appreciative grin. "Yes, Captain Lennox showed one to me. While I do worry that his schemes may negatively affect our relationship with the humans, we are at least lucky that his latest victim is rather understanding. I assume you have decided on a punishment for him?"

"Yes, he and Sunstreaker have been given opposite schedules. Perhaps some time without the other might motivate them to behave this time." He stated, not fully believing himself.

Optimus understood Prowl's frustration. The twins were a constant obstacle for the autobot leadership. While the two mechs were formidable on the battle field, so much so that even Prime doubted he could take on them both, they were also a constant source of strife on the base. Sunstreaker was a loose cannon, especially when it came to the humans. Sideswipe's pranks ran from childish to downright dangerous. Making a peaceful alliance with the humans was difficult enough without them. And is seemed that no punishment, that would not remove them from duty, was severe enough to stay their behavior.

"I did discover an anomaly in one of the communication rooms." Prowl stated, pulling Optimus out of his wayward thoughts. "One of the computers was activated last night. A line of code and dialogue was exchanged, however I have been unable to decipher either."

"Do you think this may be a decepticon hack?"

"It was done directly, not remotely. The decepticon would have had to be in the room. I suspect it was done by a human. I have already begun a review on all the newest recruits with this in mind."

"And yet your decipher codes have found nothing?" Both bots knew what was implied, while the humans were the most intelligent, fully organic species cybertronians had ever discovered, it would take time and manpower to create ciphers a cybertronian could not break.

"I am afraid so."

Optimus stayed silent for a moment, considering his options. "I would like Sideswipe to try, he is an expert at coding. Do you know how much data was sent or from where?"

"All the data transferred came from the terminal on base, I know that it was seventeen kilobytes but have no knowledge as to what the information pertained to. The dialogue was recorded by the internal server although a program from an external server scrambled the origin signal. I cannot match the coding to any military language I have data on, it is either very advanced or too tricky for me to decipher. Perhaps Sideswipe could use some of his trademark _creativity_ to come up with his own solution."

"I hope that is the case. Is Captain Lennox aware of the situation?"

"I thought it would be best for you to inform him." Prowl stated.

Optimus sighed. "Very well. I will discuss the matter with him immediately."

Without anything left to be said, Prowl quietly dismissed himself. Optimus watched the door close quietly behind him. He leaned back slightly in his rigid chair, deep in thought. _"Is there a spy among us?"_.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone. As usual, thank you for the favorites/follows/comments. Feel free to let me know what you think of the story so far. Oh, and I might be away in a couple of weeks (not sure yet) so I will try to publish the next chapter early. I already have a start on it. Enjoy!**

 **I do not own transformers... Unfortunately.**

Chapter 6

As the light ebbed over the horizon, the nocturnal creatures of Diego Garcia were laying down to rest. Soldiers and autobots alike were beginning to emerge from their barracks, an overall tone of sleepiness still hung over them. Some of the more energetic men were already chipper, though. Their jovial conversations carried through the hallways of the autobot offices, alerting Number 56 to how late the agent had stayed.

There was too much data to sort through. Stealing copies of the digital files would have been quick, but such a breach would be detected by the autobot Second in Command whose office 56 was in. Also, taking the exact files and applying the sypher to them would give a hint as to what the coding patterns were. The agent's only choice was to use a blocking device to wipe any records of tampering, and mentally record all the information 56 laid eyes on. It could then be encrypted and sent to Division.

The agent had been at it all night and lost track of time. There were only so many opportunities to steal access to such classified information. This was a risky mission. 56 had to live on Diego Garcia for an unknown number of weeks or even months while gathering data for Division. Also, there was no specified target. Division knew almost nothing about the autobots besides what they shared with humans. Division wanted battle strength, fighting techniques, physical makeup, personal weaknesses, technological abilities and creations, and even personality profiles of every autobot, and decepticon if possible. All that, along with every other piece of data the agent could scrounge up about NEST and its soldiers and affiliates, including MECH's involvement.

There was too much information and the agent had to sit on it until Division made contact. Even then, reports could only be given in short bursts. It was always a possibility that NEST would find the messages exchanged, although Agent 25 was setting up extra encryptions as needed. If the messages intercepted were too long, it would give the autobots enough data to start deciphering the messages before the language could evolve enough. On top of that, each message sent increased the agent's risk of getting caught. This was no easy mission and it was not 56's specialty.

56 was first and foremost an assassin, and only spied for short term missions. In fact, this was 56's first mission that did not include killing since the agent was in training. 56 could not help but marvel at that fact. It was somehow refreshing, not having to slit someone's throat or shooting them from a far off ridge. Of course, after Division got everything they wanted, it was likely the agency would make a move against the autobots. So this might actually result in death. And that was familiar. Until then, 56 had to sneak away without getting caught.

-Scene Change-

Erin sat at the table in the mess hall. Her outward appearance was clean, well-cut, and calm. Of course, her uniform was hiding the layers of bruising she had obtained over the past couple of days. She was a good fighter, however, she was anything but invincible. None of the hits landed on her were intended to injure, but such was the nature of sparring with two ton robots. Her entire side still ached from her first and only run in with Sunstreaker.

Since arriving on Diego Garcia, she was able to obtain some additional information on each of the autobots. Sunstreaker, who was only discussed in fearful whisper, was apparently a literal killing machine. He and his twin were powerful forces on the battlefield. A part of Erin wished she had seen Sideswipe's true potential the other day, but her survival instincts reminded her that would have been bad. Sunstreaker's ferocity in battle was said to be matched by his temper. He was a loose cannon who could attack anyone at any given time, according to the scuttlebutt. He was proud and self-obsessed. He also had a distinctive hatred for humans and all organics in general. She could attest to his disregard for her kind.

The bruising she sported from Sunstreaker were not her only physical memories. Her legs ached from the punishment Ironhide had put the recruits through. It was partially her own fault. She always trained hard and this set a high bar in the black mech's eyes. Running away was not her style, but when facing down a metal giant, with no weapons, running away and dodging was what she did. For hours. It was a strain on her energy and body. When she finally collapsed in bed, her entire skeleton shook.

However, like the good soldier she was, she did her best to hide signs of weakness. Erin tried not to dwell too long on the thought that she was about to do all of that intense training again. Instead, she half listened to Franky, who was trying to explain the wonders of football to poor Adam who had, in as few words as possible, said he did not get the appeal of spectator sports. This tangent had been lasting well over seven minutes. Erin mildly wondered whether they would notice if she left. She had plenty of time before needing to report in the main hanger, but she liked to be early. Perhaps she could even speak with Ironhide…

She stood up to leave, getting the boys' attention. "I'm gonna head down, I'll see you later." She dismissed herself and carried her tray down to the trash receptacles, even though her meal was only half eaten. While Erin was not a picky eater, she also was not entirely hungryr, so skipping out on the bland meal was not a big loss. And that food was _bland_. Everything that was not prepackaged seemed to be flavorless. She'd stick with sandwiches with deli meats from then on.

"Hey, wait up!" Franky left his food to quickly jog over to her. She gave the man a questioning stare. "I was meaning to ask," his body was calm but his eyes were alive with nervousness, "you gotta tell me how you took those guys on yesterday. I'd like to know your secret." He smiled as genuinely as he could.

 _'_ _Secret? Physical stamina and battle intelligence, duh.'_ "Yeah, sure, what do you want to know anyway?" she questioned. While Franky was in basic training with Erin and Adam, he was mainly support staff. After six months, he'd be confined to a desk most of the time, not taking on 'cons.

"Oh, just whatever you find out as you take those guys on. Yesterday, you were going on about how they balance and where their weak spots are…" he seemed to have caught himself nerding out, straightening and giving a friendlier smile, "I just want to know how you do it, that's all. It seems kind of cool, like you have a third eye or something." He finished with a rather dorky grin.

"Well, sure. I guess. I'll talk to you about it later, ok?" Erin quickly recovered from his odd changes in behavior. Not that she could consider them strange for him in particular, considering she had only met him a couple of days prior after all. Yet, he seemed friendly enough for her to continuously hang out with him.

After saying her goodbyes once again, Erin headed towards the main hanger. Unfortunately, Ironhide was nowhere in sight. Instead, there were bots whom Erin had yet to interact with. Prowl, Mirage, and Wheeljack. She entered the hanger, only sparing a cautious glance their way. She decided to wait for her trainer by the stairs stretching up one of the walls.

Her movements were quickly caught. All three bots turned their heads to the small human female. Prowl quickly mumbled something to the other two before leaving them and heading towards Erin. She couldn't help but take in his figure. He stood tall and proud, the doors from his alt-mode were raised high on his back. The white decal saying 'police' were parallel on each 'wing'. Adorned on his head were two dark navy spikes that matched the dark detailing on the black of his body. He held the presence of the room. Not as much as Optimus Prime, but not too far behind.

When he was close enough to comfortably speak, Erin raised her arm in a salute. "Good morning sir, is there anything I can help you with?"

Prowl shook his head, expression straight. He seemed the carry the military look so naturally. "I merely wished to see the soldier that the men were causing such a ruckus about." He gazed at her with an appraising eye. "I have yet to see a human soldier challenge an autobot to a one on one match, yet alone two. I'd say you were reckless, but yesterday's results leaves that up in the air." Erin did not miss his use of that phrase, obviously adopted from humans.

"Everyone knows they were going easy on me." She explained. Erin was not trying to push the compliment, she just saw it as a fact.

"I don't know about that, kid." Wheeljack spoke up as he also approached her. This was Erin's first time seeing this bot. His voice made him seem older than Prowl. The scar on his face was reminiscent of Ironhide's. "If you were a cybertronian, I'd think you belonged with the wreckers." He smiled approvingly down at her.

"What's a wrecker? I've heard the term used before, but it has not quite been explained."

The red bot in the back of the group visibly rolled his eyes. "Now you've done it Tesoro." Mirage's voice was heavy with an Italian accent. Erin could see a curved blade on each wrist which were crossing his chest. Ironhide was the only other bot whom Erin had seen toting weapons out in the open. Although, it appeared that some kind of grayish sheath covered the sharp edges of the blades. His head was held high, and he carried himself with what seemed to be an arrogant air.

Wheeljack glanced back with an annoyed glare. "The kid asked me a question, who am I to deny her an answer." He looked back to Erin, "Us wreckers are the hardest hitting fighting force in the autobot ranks." He punched his open palm to accentuate his point. The loud crash was a clear reminder of his strength. "We take the jobs no one else will." Glancing back at Mirage, "Even if it will mess up our pretty little paint jobs." He chuckled at the fuming autobot.

"So you're like special ops?" Erin questioned.

Prowl nodded his head. "You could say that, although technically the wreckers were disbanded before we arrived on Earth. Wheeljack is here as a member of Team Prime.

"Once a wrecker, always a wrecker." Wheeljack stated with a hint of annoyance.

"Which is why you will always be a rompicoglioni." Mirage muttered.

"What was that you useless hood ornament!" Wheeljack turned threateningly towards the red mech. "I didn't quite catch that!"

Prowl smoothly stepped between the two as Wheeljack started to reach over his shoulders for two red protrusions. "Calm yourself, Wheeljack." He spoke sternly.

"What about smooth talker over there?" Wheeljack shot an accusatory glance and his SIC.

"Save it for later." Prowl tried to compromise, glancing down at their one person audience.

Wheeljack pushed past him, but did not make a move for Mirage. Instead, he headed out a side door, sparing a frustrated growl towards the red mech as he past him. Once he was gone, Prowl turned towards Erin.

"I apologies for his behavior." He dipped his head sincerely.

His actions did not seem that severe to Erin. She was slightly caught off guard by his apology. Nevertheless, she turned the blame, "No, I am sorry for causing it."

"Ignore him, poco umano. Questo è quello che devo fare…" He turned away, disinterested with the conversation and headed in the opposite direction of where Wheeljack left.

"Ci proverò, grande robot." Erin called after him.

He swung around and gave her a surprised stare. "Mon male, carnosol." He then turned again to leave.

Prowl's lips twitched in the slightest smirk as he followed Mirage out the side exit, leaving Erin alone in the hanger.

Or so it seemed. Once she thought the room was empty of any occupants, at least cybertronian ones, Erin heard a light chuckle come from the main entrance. Erin turned to see Sideswipe, leaning against a thick metal beam that supported the tall walls. How had she not seen or hear him? It was disturbing to say the least.

"Getting along with the other Team Prime members?" He questioned as he pushed himself straight and wheeled over to Erin. While Optimus and Prowl filled spaces with their presence of authority, Sideswipe filled it with underlying mischief.

"Is there something you need Sideswipe?" Erin was surprised by how short she sounded. Maybe it was that mysterious factor behind him, but she was more weary of him than she was of the other autobots. Thinking back on it, she was calm with the other three bots, she did not even need to put on airs for that interaction. Of course, her instincts were shouting 'run away from the giant monsters', but she only treated them like suggestions. Maybe getting chased by a two ton ally the other day brought a normalcy to her situation in a weird kind of way. _Either get used to it or don't survive_. This, though, was not true with the silver front liner. Wheeljack must have been at least four feet taller than Sideswipe but the mech in front of her seemed too big and too threatening. Just being around him caused the hairs to rise on the back of her neck.

Sideswipe himself was calm and smiling. He made no move to garner Erin's suspicion. "Aw, can't I just want to say high? I was in the area and saw you talking with the 'bots over there, so I thought I'd pop in." He paused for a moment, crossing his arms and leaning more on one leg, looking casual. "Hi." He said with a lopsided grin.

"Hi." Erin plainly responded, not sure what he was expecting.

…

"Soooo," he breathed out after moments of thick silence, "Since I was, uh, you know, in the neighborhood and saw you, I thought I might ask whether you've considered my offer?"

"No." Erin answered somewhat honestly. She had thought about it a bit, but had not come to any conclusions. Both twins seemed to be loose cannons. She wanted to be on Team Prime, but at what cost?

Sideswipe twirled his fingers around each other in a nervous gesture. "Uh, no as in you-"

"I haven't thought about it." She explained, "I was actually going to discuss it with Ironhide when he got here."

"Oh." The bot seemed to droop at the thought. Perhaps he and Ironhide did not get along. She had not seen enough interaction between the two to come up with any definite conclusions. At the very least, Ironhide obviously thought Sideswipe was immature. He most likely would disapprove of the arrangement.

"I don't just want to ask him about us teaming up," she amended after seeing the forlorn look on his face, "I also want to see what it will take for me to even be added to Team Prime. I'm sure there are a number of requirements" Did she just reassure him? That was… uncharacteristic.

The bot seemed to recover a bit with her words. "Ok, I get that. Although, I'm sure you more than qualify. But, I'll leave you to it, then." He turned to head back out the main entrance. "Oh, and let me know if you decide anything, ok?" After Erin nodded, he quickly left. Actually, it was more like he booked it out of there, must be in a hurry to get somewhere.

Erin continued to wait while other soldiers filled the room. Apparently she would not get the chance to speak with the mech alone. Little did she know that the mention of Ironhide had protected her from the oncoming prank the front liner had planned for that moment. Sideswipe left the hanger, axe body spray and zip tie tucked away in his subspace.

-Translation-

Tessoro- sweetheart

Rompicoglioni- ball-breaker or 'pain in the ass'

Poco umano- little human

Questo è quello che devo fare- That's what I must do

Ci proverò, grande robot.- I'll try, big robot.

Non male, carnosol- Not bad, fleshy

-Translation-


	7. Chapter 7

**A promise is a promise, enjoy this early chapter.**

 **I do not own transformers... for now...**

Chapter 7

Mission report.

Data gathering in progress.

Files included:

File A: Detailed map of Diego Garcia Base. Includes list of scheduled patrol rotations.

File B: Information on the basics of manufacturing of energon as described in the Autobot Human Data Compliance Form.

Needed: Data on device used to create energon from fossil fuels.

File C: Information on Samuel Witwicky: association with autobots, guarded by autobot- Bumblebee, personal address, school address, work address, family associations, cell phone number, social security number.

File D: Basic information regarding energon-based weapons as designed by humans.

Needed: Autobot data on energon-based weapons.

Analysis of Autobot team. Optimus Prime.

Leader of Autobots. Twenty five feet tall. Red and blue coloring. Peterbilt vehicle form. Combat ability: extremely skilled in hand to hand and weapons. Known weapons: two seven foot curved energon blades, double mounted energon cannon on right arm- number of shots based on energon in system, high caliber pistol-like weapon- left hand- uses bullets- limited number of shots, ion blaster in left arm- detachable from body, uses prestored energon - limited number of shots. Diplomatic in nature. Will harm humans only as last resort. Manipulation: highly unlikely. Recommendation: avoid.

Analysis of Autobot team. Prowl

Second in Command of Autobots. Seventeen feet tall. Black and white. Mustang police car vehicle form. Combat ability: moderate. Known weapons: Two pistols on each arm- detachable- use bullets- limited number of shots, arm mounted energon cannon- left arm. Manipulation: highly unlikely. In charge of base security. Recommendation: possible engagement.

-Scene Change-

If Erin was being completely honest with herself, Diego Garcia wasn't so bad. She'd been there two weeks already and had found an appreciation for the opportunity to let loose her combat abilities. Ironhide was her favorite sparring partner. He liked to push her to her limits. Every morning, training would go normally for her and the other recruits; belittling comments, running until most of the soldiers were ready to pass out, watching terrified men run away from an unamused weapons specialist… However, after basic training, Ironhide would keep Erin for a couple more hours.

At first, they would discuss theoretical situations in which she is pitted against a decepticon. He taught her about all the N.E.S.T issued weapons and how each was designed for certain weaknesses on a cybertronian, not to say that there were many. Eventually they'd spar. At the moment, it was tied 5-5. Ironhide made Erin promise that she would not tell anyone that he was tied with a human, no offense intended, of course. Erin did not mind. During their first three bouts, Ironhide won hands down. She had the bruises to prove it. She had no weapons, aside from a paintball gun, and she'd spend most of the time dodging his bean bag bullets or carefully controlled physical attacks. She knew that if he used a single one of his weapons for real, she'd be long dead. Thank God he was only half serious.

When they sparred for the forth time, however, Erin finally turned the tables. She had been watching how he moved and what his patterns were and saved all the information. Ironhide had given her a modified energon blade- although the autobots did not share their technology with humans, they could not stop them from developing their own _inspired_ weapons. This E-blade was one of such weapons. It was two feet long, making it rather clunky. This was a reasonable length, however, because anything shorter would do little to no damage on a cybertronian. Once she finally had a weapon, she formulated a plan, taking advantage of her size and attacking Ironhide's legs. Initially, she would try to run beside or between his legs, slashing as she went. This, however, did not create enough damage to incapacitate him. She opted to do a more direct attack, quickly latching onto his ankle strut and stabbing sensitive areas in his inner circuitry. The mech had few weaknesses, but eventually Erin found some of them.

The last time Erin and Ironhide fought, the mech had to call Ratchet to stop a severe energon leak above his hip. At first, Erin wanted to help stop the bleeding immediately. Ironhide, though, forbade her, reasoning that she could be severely burned by the blue liquid. She obediently stood to the side while the weapons specialist orally reviewed her last set of maneuvers. When Ratchet arrived, Ironhide proudly reported on her progress. He then had to talk the medic down while the florescent yellow mech threateningly held a giant wrentch over the young woman's head.

Overall, she was content. She was training hard and getting stronger. Erin had to remind herself not to get distracted, though. There was a lot of work to be done and she needed a clear head.

At the moment, she was up against a human. Poor Sergeant Epps was stuck in a head lock between Erin's knees. One arm was pulled behind his pack and painfully twisted. His free arm had just given up on his struggle for freedom and was franticly tapping the ground in a plea for mercy. Erin held on for another second before releasing the man. She was, admittingly, tired. After finishing a training session with Ironhide, Epps had called her over, challenging her to a sparring match. Naturally, the entire base heard about how she had beaten Sideswipe so every single man on Diego Garcia seemed to want to test her metal, so to speak. She initially refused their challenges, however, Epps and several others were doing official training on a sparring platform. This way she could get multiple birds with one stone. Before fighting Epps, she sparred with three other men, trying to take them down with quick maneuvers to save her energy.

Erin helped Epps stand while the group around them cheered her on and tried to nominate the next challenger. She would not be able to keep up much longer, it was evident from her heavy panting and dehydrated appearance. With a silent motion, she asked one of the soldiers for water. He complied with a victorious grin, apparently he wanted to take her on next. After a quick swig, she threw the bottle aside and beckoned the man to jump onto the platform.

Erin saw a familiar silver glint to her 9 o'clock. She couldn't help but let out an exasperated sign as the 'silver menace' drove up. Said mech had been popping up everyday to ask her whether she'd had enough time to consider his proposal. While she did want to be on team prime and it was evident that Ironhide was training her up for just that purpose, the black mech had also told her to avoid the silver trouble maker and she headed his advice.

Once the corvette was within earshot, she put a hand up before he could even transform. Still tired, she measured her breaths. "Before you ask, no. I haven't had time to consider." Why she didn't flat out say no, she wasn't sure. He'd annoyed her enough as of late.

Dismissing the car, she made eye contact with her new opponent whom had gotten on the platform. She got into a ready stance. Epps, having recovered, stepped up to referee. Before the match could get started, the hissing of hydraulics and clamping of metal amour caught the groups attention. Towering over them was a rather disappointed looking Sideswipe. If Erin didn't know better, she would think he was giving her a puppy-dog stare.

"Oh, come on, Rin! I'm not here to pester you. I just wanted to say hi." He gave a light grin. His featured once again displayed something that she saw but couldn't identify, it was unsettling.

She tried to ignore him, turning away to her opponent. Nodding to Epps, Erin signaled her readiness. After a second, the sergeant called the start of the match. Erin allowed her opponent to make the first move. He shot a fist straight out towards her, with it came speed and evident power. She dodged slightly down an to the left so that his fist barely grazed just over her right shoulder. Erin quickly snaked her arms around to his back, one under his outstretched arm, and the other even with his neck. Her hands met firmly at the same moment when her right foot stepped forward. She hooked it back around the man's ankle. With very little force, she was able t fling him onto his back. Quickly, she twisted her position so that the man's neck was squeezed between the crook of her arm and her chest. The man had no way out and only a minute of air left. Epps called it less than ten seconds after the fight had started. Erin offered the other man a hand, which he wearily took.

"Not bad femme," Sideswipe said, apparently incapable of staying silent for any period of time, "but how about fighting a _real_ mech?"

Erin saw that he had made himself comfortable, sitting Indian-style on the ground. The men around him seemed to have scooted away. Sideswipe's reputation was that of a mech that was rather indifferent towards humans. That, combined with giant wheeled feet, and a reputation as a prankster led many of the soldiers to avoid the mech. However, this indifference did not seem to apply to Erin. He basically stalked her, showing up everywhere she went. Whether it was outside of the chow hall or even tapping on her bedroom window, he was always there to harass her.

She also had a sneaking suspicious that he was the one who filled her room to the brim with white balloons. The other night, she had come home to open her door and find a flood of the static menaces. All at once, after her hair was charged and floating with electricity, they popped, sending every soldier nearby on the ground with hand over their heads, looking for the source of the 'attack'.

Epps seemed to notice Erin's mood towards Sideswipe and responded for her, "From what I heard, she's already kicked your aft once, let everyone else have a shot!" A chorus of laughter followed his comment.

Men were clueless, so very clueless… Erin jumped off the sparring platform and waved the group of males off, "As much as I love kicking your asses, I'm beat. See ya!" With that, she stalked off with the vain hope that no one would persue her. Silly Erin.

A large shadow loomed over the woman, extending across her path in the setting sun. She walked silently, the only sounds were crickets and the shifting earth under two massive tires.

"You aren't mad about the balloon thing are you?" He cautiously asked.

Well, it wasn't like she could outrun him. "Is there something you want, Sideswipe?"

"I want to know why you are so adamant about refusing my offer. I know that Ironhide is training you for Team prime Why won't you at least try a team up, it'll get you there even faster!"

Erin turned on her heels to face the front liner- as much as she could, considering their size differences- her gaze was scrutinizing. "Tell me why. Why do you want me on your team? I've heard that you and Sunstreaker are already a force to be reckoned with. And by reputation, you aren't big fans of humans, so why me? If you wanted a strong teammate, you could ask any autobot."

He glanced away, trying to come up with a response. "Well… Sunny is the one with the thing against humans, not me…"

"That doesn't answer my question." Erin stated firmly.

Sideswipe's eyes wondered around, not meeting her own. "The other bots wouldn't want to team up with us so…"

"Why me?" she said through gritted teeth, losing patience for his games.

Finally, his azure optics trained on her grey eyes. He paused for a long moment. Erin could see some internal conflict, he was deciding what to tell her. A sigh informed her that he had made a decision. The mech kneeled to be closer to her eye level. "Look, the truth is that the boss 'bot wants to see us get along with you humans. I thought that if Sunny and I did that, well… He might be more lenient with us."

"So, you want to team up with me so that you can get away with whatever trouble you wreak on the base?" She deadpanned.

"Pretty much."

"That is a pretty ridiculous plan."

The mech's optics seemed to brighten a bit. A lopsided grin graced his faceplates. "I know."

At that moment, Erin could finally identify a piece of the sense she was getting from Sideswipe. It was oddly familiar; pure, unadulterated, mischief. "Ok."

Sideswipe flinched with surprise. "THAT is the reason why you are agreeing to do a team up?"

"I will _try_ a team up. And I'm only agreeing because you were honest with me." With that said, Erin left the star-struck mech under the fading light. She was tired, and ready for some rest.

-Scene Change-

Sideswipe raced into the main hanger, spotting Ironhide and Captain Lennox chatting as usual. Probably saying something about Annabelle, new words learned or whatever trouble an underdeveloped fleshy gets into. He skipped them and went straight for Optimus.

"Prime!"

The regal leader turned to the front liner, holding a straight face. "Hello Sideswipe, is there something you need?" Only those close to the Prime would be able to tell how he barely managed to repress a sigh when the silver mech called him out.

"Yes sir, I was hoping to discuss a Team Prime candidate with you."

The blue and red mech was visibly taken aback. The front liner was notably not on Team Prime, his inability to work with humans was one of the _many_ reasons.

Before the Prime could respond, the gruff voice of a certain black mech rang through the hanger, "Oh no!" He marched to the pair. "I will not release you and your pit-spawned twin on that femme."

Catching on, Optimus faced Ironhide. "I suppose you are referring to Ms. Brook?"

Excitedly, Sideswipe nodded. "I think she would do well on Team Prime with me and Sunny."

A stern voice came from behind Sideswipe, "While the femme certainly is a Team Prime candidate, you two are not." The autobot SIC said as he stalked into the hanger, Jazz close on his heels, "Optimus takes responsibility for the members of Team Prime, he should not have to shoulder your misbehavior."

Ironhide nodded in agreement. "I was considering having her team up with unit two. Or even Mirage and Wheeljack."

Optimus seemed worried at the idea, "We do not have any teams that include both autobots and humans. Do you think she could handle the burden of teaming up with a wrecker? Especially when she is so young."

While it was true that Team Prime had both humans and 'bots, it was really made up of individual units that always stuck together. These units would work with other units as needed. At the time, there were three human and two autobot units. Unit One consisted of Captain Lennox, Sergeant Epps, Robert Thayer, and Steve Haines. Unit two had Chip Horton, Mitchel Faireborn, and Shawn Gilbert. Unit three had Justin Marshall, Dann Robbins, Martin Coleman, Mike Jeff, and Ali Gilbert. The autobot units included Jazz and Prowl as Unit A and Unit B was Wheeljack and Mirage.

"I know we can do better." Sideswipe tried to reason with the SIC. Over the comm link he sent, :I've been slaving away over that decepticon code you sent me! You trust me with that and not some simple teamwork?: "I never said or did anything when you separated Sunny and I with apposite patrols, did I?"

He strategically chose not to mention the fact that he had been using that as an opportunity to observe Erin. The femme had become increasingly more interesting to him. She didn't shrink away from him like the other humans naturally seemed to do. In fact, she stood her ground with some kind of respectful defiance. While he did visit her often, he also spent a lot of time hanging back and observing. It wasn't exactly stalking, he just wanted to get to know his future teammate without her shooing him away. After a couple of weeks, Sideswipe had decided that he liked the femme. She was tough and kick-aft, a requirement to work with him and Sunny. She also seemed social enough. Sideswipe would see her talking with two humans in particular. Rather, she would listen to one of them and nod along with the other. The second male, Sideswipe suspected, might have been defective. He never opened his mouth, let alone spoke. Erin seemed to understand him anyway. She would look at him and seem to interpret something from his expressions or whatever. He didn't care much about her male companions, as long as she was easy going enough to deal with whatever he and Sunny threw at her. Overall, she seemed like a really good fit. In fact, he found that he really wanted to work with her, So much so that… "I promise I'll be on my best behavior! I… I… I'll even stop pranking for two whole months!"

Prowl visibly perked at this.

"And I'll fix all the changes I made to Lennox's Facebook profile."

Said human also perked, but with a much darker look. "When the hell did you do that?"

"About twenty breems ago." He admitted with a bit of pride.

"Sideswipe…" he gave off a warning glare. While the human himself could do little damage to the front liner, he was not only respected by all 'bots, but stood next to a weapons specialist that had several Captain- sized weapons tucked away in his subspace.

Jazz, struggling to contain his smirk, turned towards Optimus. "'E seems dedicated, I don't see how a trial run would hurt."

The Prime nodded. "Sideswipe, have you discussed this with Sunstreaker? This doesn't seem like the kind of arrangement he would sign on to."

"We discussed it." Sideswipe answered truthfully. They did talk about it, he just never actually agreed.

"I would be willing to approve a trial of sorts, if Captain Lennox agrees."

All mechs turned to the human. Sideswipe shot him a pleading look which would do nothing the budge the man. He considered it for a moment. "If Ms. Brook is as good as Ironhide claims, then I would be willing to allow it, if she consents as well."

"Is she even aware of how destructive these two can be?" Ironhide questioned.

"Sideswipe," Optimus spoke, "I would like you and Sunstreaker to report to training ground 3 at 0600 tomorrow. Ironhide will test you three to see if you have compatibility as a team. I trust his judgement." He turned to the black mech, "I will trust you to inform Ms. Brook of this development."

Although Sideswipe did not like having a biased judge like Ironhide decide his team's fate, at least they had a shot. "Thanks, Prime." Sideswipe wheeled out to go in search of his twin. He wasn't sure to tell him the news mech to mech, or over the bond…

As soon as Sideswipe left the hanger, Lennox flipped out his phone and opened the Facebook app. Ironhide was already on the internet checking out all the 'improvements' Sideswipe made to his profile. He couldn't help but let out a thunderous chuckle at the mech's creativity while his human friend angrily grumbled to himself. Ironhide did have to do internet searches on a few of the changes, such as 'fetish society'.

-Scene Change-

Erin sat in her usual place in the chow hall, between Franky and Adam. The three had gotten along quite well. Franky, whom Erin learned was a surprising 28 years old (he looked eighteen), would chat about anything and everything. Usually, he would start by quizzing her about training with Ironhide before the conversation would devolve to one sided debates about food or sports teams. Erin found his chatter oddly comforting. Adam would silently sit there, only saying a bout of words at most. His main contribution to the conversation would be to stoically nod his head.

"You're fucking kidding me?" Franky burst out. "You actually hurt him that bad?"

Franky and Adam both stared at Erin with rapt attention.

"Yeah, but it's not like he wasn't going easy on me." She tried to shrug it off. The truth was, in their last session, Ironhide was probably fighting at a seven. "Trust me, Ironhide is intimidating, but not as much as 'The King of the Wrenches'."

The table shook silently with Franky's laughter, Adam moved his hand over his mouth to suppress a smile.

"You're pretty fuckin' tough dealin' with the 'bots like that. I have to be honest, those guys scare the piss out of me."

Adam nodded in agreement.

Erin couldn't deny his statement. "They are intimidating, but I think I'm just getting used to it."

"Even that silver stalker of yours?" Franky gave a knowing grin that made Erin sigh in defeat. Even though the mech tried to be covert, Erin had no trouble noticing him following her. That was, whenever he wasn't outright trying to pester her. It seems that Franky had taken notice too, not that it was particularly difficult to spot a metal giant sneaking about. "What's his deal anyway? Is he still pissed about you beating him a couple of weeks ago? Honestly, I'm shocked he' after you and not that psycho twin of his."

"No, that's not it. He wants me to team up with him and his brother."

"You're fuck'n kidding me? Team Prime? Wait, I thought the terror twins didn't like humans' or at least Sunstreaker. I swear, if someone didn't warn us about him, one of us newbies would have ended up squished." Squished seemed to be the choice phrase for a human being harmed by an autobot, considering they were considered 'squishies', not a very flattering nickname.

"They don't." Erin answered flatly. "Just forget about it. I agreed to do a trial run but I doubt anything will come of it. And that's all I really want to say on the matter." Erin was unsure of what the trial would look like, or whether it was even allowed. Ironhide seemed mistrusting of Sideswipe. Whenever he came to spy on Erin sparring with him, she always felt a protective aura coming from the weapons specialist. She did want to be on team prime, but she felt that joining with the twins would be like ritual suicide. They just seemed too unstable.

Franky looked like he wanted to argue but let the subject drop.

-Scene Change-

Sunstreaker groggily pulled out of recharge. Since Prowl changed his schedule, he'd been doing evening patrols. Much to his annoyance, it had been hard to get a good recharge when his other half was awake and active. If was irritating enough going from a normal cybertronian sleep cycle to a much shorter, human one. Sunstreaker tended to require less rest than Sideswipe, but when said sleep was in short supply, he was the most affected. While Sunstreaker, admittingly, had a more turbulent temperament than most mechs, recently he'd been feeling more fragged off than usual.

He hadn't spent quality time with Sides in a while. Even when they were in the same room, he felt there was some kind of barrier between them. Usually, after an argument, each mech would go off on his own and blow some steam. Later that day they would always come back, though. After the fight about the squishy, however, things seemed a bit different. Sunstreaker knew that Sideswipe was hiding something from him, not even allowing the bond to fully open. It must have something to do with that fragging squishy! Sideswipe dropped the subject far to quickly for Sunstreaker's comfort. Not to mention, he felt a dull frustration that only his twin could satisfy. But, none of that would be happening until Sideswipe opened up to him, which could be a while. While Sideswipe was always more vocal about his 'needs', he could always hold out longer than Sunstreaker. Fragging idiot.

Speaking of which…

Said idiot sauntered into their berth-room with cautious optimism seeping through the bond. Sunstreaker raised an optic ridge, sending a curious sensation to his twin.

"Hey Sunny."

"Don't call me that." the yellow mech mumbled, still tired. Side's chipper mood was not helping.

"Gong on patrol soon?" he asked casually while he loudly plopped down on his berth.

"Yeah." Sunstreaker gave his twin a sideways glance while the silver mech started thumbing through a data pad. Thumbing being if one of his four fingers could be called a thumb.

"Well then… I'll just go." Sunstreaker got up to leave, still suspicious of his twin.

"Without polishing, that's not like you Sunny." Sideswipe didn't even look up from his data pad but grinned nonetheless as Sunstreaker hissed out a curse once taking notice of his slightly, if even noticeably dull appearance. "By the way, you'll be glad to hear that Prowl is putting us back on our old schedule."

Sunstreaker pulled some of his cleaning supplies off the shelf over his berth and began the process of applying wax. After all, he always got up extra early so he could enjoy the cathartic practice. "So the fragger decided that enough was enough. Or did Prime think two weeks was stretching it?"

Sideswipe paused. "I don't know about that, but it _would_ be difficult to train if all three of us were on different schedules." He stated casually.

After that, Sunstreaker saw white.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello, I hope you are all enjoying the story so far! Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I've also gone back and fixed a couple small mistakes I made. Mostly spelling and grammatical errors. Thank you Ekeifer for pointing out that error in chapter 1.**

 **On to the story!**

 **I do not own transformers**

Chapter 8

Ironhide woke as he heard rustling from within the three story home behind him. Sarah Lennox and Annabelle always tended to be early risers. While he did have berthing back on base, he tended to stay near the Lennox household whenever he could find the right excuse. His guardian protocols urged him to stay near his charge, although they had not needed his protection since Sarah Lennox relented and moved to Diego Garcia.

Captain Lennox and Sarah Lennox were both thrilled to live together, although the Captain was required to remain on base proper most of the time. However, Mrs. Lennox did not wish for her daughter to grow up on a secluded island. For this, Ironhide felt a twinge of guilt. He too wanted Annabelle to grow up among other children and receive a quality and diverse formal education, but he also wanted Annabelle to be safe.

After becoming the Lennox's guardian, he avoided the sparkling at all costs, for fear of harming or scaring the child. But her curiosity was relentless and eventually she won out. The black mech was wrapped around her finger.

After a few months of living with the Lennox's, Ironhide was called on to go to the newly founded base, leaving the two femmes unguarded. He would never make that mistake again. Now, both lived safely on the island, but he still watched over them whenever he could. Sarah Lennox saw right through him, of course. Whenever he stated he would stay out front, sighting he was too tired to head back to base, she would give him a knowing smirk and wish him a good night.

Annabelle especially liked it when Ironhide stayed over so she could sleep with him in his alt-mode whenever she had one of her recurring nightmares. Luckily, it seemed that, on that day, Annabelle had a full night sleep. As usual, she had peeked out her window to see if her favorite truck was recharging outside. By the time Ironhide fully woke, the four year old had her arms stretched as far as they would go up his grill.

"Mornin' Iwonhide!" she stepped back in anticipation.

Ironhide, not wanting to disappoint the child, slowly transformed. The sparkling seemed to love watching him change from a not-so-common truck into the towering autobot, so he showed off a bit in a slower transformation to fully wow the little femme. When he was done, she clapped her hands together a couple of times. "Can we pway?"

"Sorry Annabelle, but I must get going soon." He knelt down and ruffled her hair ever so gently. "But I am off duty tomorrow, and I promise to visit then."

Annabelle looked down in disappointment. "Ok." She huffed.

"Now, have you refueled yet?" he gave her a knowing look.

The sparkling's answer was cut off by a roaring engine. A mostly white Lancia Stratos rolled up the driveway. Wheeljack quickly transformed and nodded to Ironhide. "What's up 'Hide?" he knelt down to Annabelle. "How're you doin' scraplet?"

"I'm ok." She bounced slightly on her heels. "Can you do the swords?"

Wheeljack laughed, "Maybe after I speak with your creator."

At the mention of her name, Sarah Lennox exited her household. "Wheeljack, Ironhide, good morning to both of you."

"Good morning ma'am." Wheeljack responded respectfully. While the white mech tended to be as gruff as Ironhide was fabled to be, Wheeljack had quickly learned to respect Mrs. Lennox. Unlike the soldiers on Diego Garcia, she did not stand for being called a squishy, fleshy, or any other nickname the 'bots came up with for humans. The wrecker learned very quickly to show the small woman courtesy. After a rather long lecture from the strangely spirited and ferocious femme with a certain cannon toting mech in the background, Wheeljack treaded carefully with her. Or at least when other mechs weren't around. Ironhide did not count, though, because he was even more fearful of her wrath than just about any 'bot.

"What can I do for you today?" She rubbed her hands together.

It was a common occurrence for an autobot to appear outside her household at any time of any given day. Some mechs, merely visited to collect Captain Lennox and bring him back to base. Others, such as Optimus Prime, enjoyed the peace her little carved out property offered. They could hide away from the bustle of the base. Sarah Lennox always had energon stocked in her shed for a visiting 'bot to sip on. When asked, she would also engage in conversation with them. The autobot leadership enjoyed her intelligent and nondiplomatic dialog. And the femme was definitely intelligent. Not only was she naturally knowledgeable, but the former professor was well versed in sociology. Her profession led her to be uniquely capable of fielding any questions the autobots had concerning interactions with human kind. She also had the mental steel to field some of the more bizarre questions that inevitably arise whenever a 'bot went searching through the internet.

Wheeljack dug through his subspace, "I just wanted to return this to ya." He pulled out a small box that Ironhide instantly recognized, Sarah Lennox's cleaning supplies. Mrs. Lennox was quite adept at providing car washes. Back in the old days on Cybertron, bathing was more social than it was centuries later. Ironhide, and a few other 'bots, still very much enjoyed it whenever Sarah Lennox would wash their alt-modes. "It did wonders for the jackhammer. She may not be flying just yet, but at least she's looking more respectable."

Sarah Lennox accepted the box. "I'm glad, feel free to come by and borrow some any time."

Annabelle jumped with energy, "Swords."

Wheeljack grinned, "I'll do one demonstration if your creator allows it."

Annabelle turned to her, giddy with a sparkling's excitement. While Ironhide did not like the idea of weapons, aside from his own, being within eyeshot if Annabelle, he knew that Wheeljack was extremely skilled with his katanas and posed no threat of accidently harming her.

Sarah Lennox sighed and addressed her creation. "Alright, just please be safe. Give him plenty of space." Ironhide could not help but smirk. A few years ago, the idea of an autobot even looking at her sparkling, was enough to terrify the femme. Now her trust was like second nature. "I will be inside making breakfast, be back in twenty minutes. Ok?"

"Ok." Annabelle chirped.

"Wheeljack," the femme addressed the mech, "Keep a close eye on her. And if you are going to be swinging those things around," she pointed a finger towards a nearby grove of trees, "Then try whacking down those trees of heaven without harming the palms." It was not uncommon for her to assign random tasked to the autobots whenever they were nearby. Tasks which were always dutifully carried out.

"Will do ma'am." He nodded.

"And no grenades!" She called back while heading into the house.

Wheeljack turned to Ironhide, "I'm never gonna live that one down, am I?"

Ironhide grinned, "Humans may have short lifespans, but they have long memories."

"I filled in the hole, didn't I?" He slowly started towards his destination, Annabelle in tow. "You comin' 'Hide?"

"No." he grumbled. "I have to meet those pit spawned twins and Private brook."

"Oh, yeah, Jazz told me about what's going on. Probably gonna be a disaster. Make sure the kid doesn't die, she seems like a good soldier." He threw one last comment over his shoulder, "Oh, and I should probably tell ya. I went by the doc's earlier today. The twins were there and Sideswipe looked to be in a pretty rough shape. Apparently Sunstreaker needed to put some dings in his idiot brother."

Ironhide growled. It was not going to be a good day.

-Scene Change-

They were late. All that persistence, and they were late. _He_ was late. Maybe all of it was just one of his infamous pranks, not a very good one, though. She had done worse when she was six; taking all the tops off her caretakers' muffins- now that was evil. Erin lost herself in the slight sense of nostalgia. She was so carefree, no amount of punishment would discourage her reckless behavior. But that was a long time ago and a lot happened since then. All that was left was a girl on a mission and a few mechs who were delaying said mission.

Tired of standing around, she decided to take advantage of her surroundings. The training ground was mainly for mech on mech sparring, in its center was a large open space, dotted with a few boulders about twice as tall as an average human. Next to the sparring grounds were several targets at varying distances. Someone, most likely Sideswipe, had glued images of decepticon faces onto each target. Megatron's image had a large speech bubble that read, "Come at me bro!". Meanwhile, the one that appeared to be Starscream had a small handlebar mustache. Between the two fields were a set of stands. Erin walked between them to where the metal scaffolding was exposed. She lifted herself up and hung her legs over one of the bars. Hanging sit-ups would help pass the time.

After several minutes, Erin could hear the roar of high performance engines. It sounded as if one of them, most likely Sideswipe, was trying to make the loudest engine noises. Not bothering to stop, she continued her workout until three mechs were towering over her. Calmly, she dropped from her position and stood to face them only to be caught, slightly, off guard. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were both covered in scratches and dents. The latter mech seemed to have gotten off with only cosmetic injuries, while the silver one had a couple of noticeable holes in the armor on his arms and one on his thigh. Dried energon still was crusted close to the wounds, but it seemed that most of it had been washed away.

"Apologies for making you wait, Private Brook." Ironhide stated, glancing at the 'bots on either side of him. I had to collect these two fraggers from the med bay."

Erin didn't ask, the dark glare from Sunstreaker warned her not to. Sideswipe just shrugged and gave her an idiotic smile and wave. The yellow mech then smacked him on the back of the head or 'helm' as they called it.

"As you know," Ironhide stated, "I will be monitoring your training to determine whether you are a good fit with these aft-heads, however doubtful that is."

Sunstreaker grumbled, "Let's get this slag over with already."

Erin was surprised by how Sunstreaker seemed even remotely willing to work with a 'squishy'.

"Alright slag-heads, "Ironhide continues, "I want you three to work together in a combat exercise. I will be your opponent. A win only counts if you work together." The black mech gave a dark grin, "You have two breems to come up with a strategy. And I should mention, if any of your slag-headed actions cause injury to Private Brook, I've been informed to take both of you straight to the brig, so no funny business." He glanced over to Sunstreaker, "I won't be going easy on you fraggers, so I wouldn't recommend failing on purpose." He then thundered off to the center of the sparring arena.

Sideswipe spun on his wheels, standing between Erin and Sunstreaker, the latter of whom refused to budge. "Alright, Rin, ya ready?" he gave a wide grin.

She nodded back, considering you've seen me spar, what strategy would you think will work best for us?"

He shrugged, "I don't know, I was just gonna feel my way through it."

Sunstreaker rolled his optics in a very human-like gesture.

Erin fought the urge to do a face palm. "Look Sideswipe, you two may know each other's fighting styles well, but I don't and I can't communicate over comms like you can."

"We don't use comms, we can speak over our twin bo-". He nearly fell over as his twin smacked him over the helm again.

Sunstreaker growled, "Hurry up, fragger."

This was not working. She needed to think fast. She stared intently at the twins, studying them and remembering the brief description she received of them on the flight to Diego Garcia weeks ago. Strategies flashed through her head. She had seen Sideswipe move not only during their sparring match, but every day while he stalked her. His wheels gave him speed and maneuverability, although his armor was noticeably thinner than Sunstreaker's. Meanwhile, it would make sense for a skilled team such as theirs to have contrasting abilities. Sunstreaker was not likely to have the speed Sideswipe has, in fact, he was built a bit more like Ironhide, only without the excessive weaponry. The way the yellow mech stalked around helped confirm her suspicions, he was a solid force, built like a mountain. "Sideswipe, when you two fight, you focus on quick attacks while Sunstreaker acts as the strength, hitting hard and stunning the opponent while shielding you. Am I right?"

Both mechs seemed a bit taken aback. Erin could swear she saw Sunstreaker mouth 'not bad'. "Analyzing that wasn't hard." She summarized. Besides, she did have some background information on their fighting styles already. "What he'll expect is for Sunstreaker to make the first shot, followed by Sideswipe up high and me down low. That's the move that makes the most sense. So, let's make him think that's what we're doing." A plan formed in her mind, one that even she felt nervous about.

-Scene Change-

Ironhide was not a very patient mech. He gave the three two breems, but considering they had never fought together, he should have given them a day to practice and discuss. However, he didn't care. When the three finally got ready to face him, he felt his battle programs activate. His vorns of experience were behind him, ready to face whatever they threw at him. The twins were powerful and wild, in a real fight they would tear their enemies apart. While strong, they were also predictable. This would leave Private Brook exposed, outside of their 'twin loop'. He takes out the human, all three loose the exercise. She needed to learn how not to be the weak link.

Private Brook gave herself a head start, moving in towards his legs. After a couple kliks, the twins burst towards him. Ironhide would let them have the first move so he could determine their exact strategy. Sunstreaker arrived first with a powerful shoulder slam, sending Ironhide skidding back. Out of the corner of his optics, he saw Private Brook rearing to strike. He swung his arm towards the ground with only enough force to knock over the human. His fist came to an abrupt stop, slamming into tough metal. A silver fist curled around his own, holding him in place. Sideswipe flashed him a cocky smile. He… missed? Where was she?

Sideswipe swung his free arm up, out of his servo jumped Private Brook, weapons in hand. She landed against Ironhide's faceplates. One leg hooked around the back of his neck and the other folded to push against the front of his neck cables, holding her in place. Her E-blade came within inches of his optic. A handgun containing paintballs matched the other. Ironhide was about to swat her off but felt the sharp edge of an energon blade at the back of his heels. The pressure of a cannon met his chest plating. He was completely pinned. Past Private Brook's weapons, Ironhide could see her and Sunstreaker's victorious smirks. Sideswipe chuckled from behind him.

"Alright," he said brusquely, "I concede."

Private Brook was the first to sheath her weapons. She kicked with her leg to distance herself from the black mech and landed on the ground. He noticed how she seemed to falter a bit in her fall. His scanners picked up her elevated heart rate, which was higher than it normally was when they sparred. He filed it away for later thought.

Sideswipe, on the other hand, clumsily leapt forward to try and catch the falling human. He fell short and 'ate' the dust by Ironhide's feet. Sunstreaker kicked off the silver servo that had grabbed onto his pede after the fall. He stalked slightly away from the group, probably just trying to get some distance between himself and the human.

Ironhide regained his composure. The three of them had caught him off guard. He did not expect them to operate together so easily. At the very least, he expected Sunstreaker to outright refuse the human's help. One impressive bout, however, would not make the decision for him. He had far more planned.

-Scene Change-

Erin was surprised by how willing the twins had gone along with her battle plans. For beings with hundreds of years of their own experience, she thought it would be harder to convince them to cooperate with her. Sunstreaker still seemed apprehensive, though, Erin just hoped these trials did not include any trust exercises.

Luckily what came next did not include Erin falling back into Sunstreaker's hand. Ironhide had them continue to come at him as a team. After the fourth round, she got the sense he just wanted a win under his belt. Unlike the first round, the second was mostly Sunstreaker beating on Ironhide, but Erin and Sideswipe still contributed… a little. Mostly by staying out of the way, which counted… sort of. Rounds three and four showed Erin just how formidable the twins were. Ironhide was no slouch, Epps had told her just how powerful he was on the battlefield. Although, she learned, he never used his full strength when sparring, mostly because it would leave far too many potholes and too many buildings would be lost. The twins, on the other hand, had no qualms about going all out on the black mech, which is precisely what they did. Erin managed to do her part, shooting paintballs at Ironhide's optics to blind and distract him. If he avoided her, he would not be focusing enough on the relentless beating the twins were intent on putting him through. If he allowed her to continue her onslaught, he would be blinded and even more vulnerable.

While Erin and Sideswipe could accommodate each other's fighting styles, it had become apparent that Sunstreaker was working around Erin rather than with her. Ironhide seemed to have caught on to this as well.

The strain was catching up on the human. Ironhide had focused almost all of his attacks on her, trying to take her out or drain her energy with each round. It was clear that while she was remarkably fit, not to brag, she still did not have a robot's stamina.

She followed after the twins as they tried to get some distance from their opponent before the next round. A large servo wrapped around her abdomen and pulled her into the air. She flinched and tried to pry herself away but it was a hopeless effort. Even with her energy reserves low, she found a burst of energy in her newfound panic. Massive black fingers covered her holsters, making her incapable of unsheathing her weapons. Ironhide grunted and caught the other mechs' attention. Erin scowled as she was held up like a trophy.

"You aft-heads just let your partner get captured." He asked darkly, "What are you gonna do about it?"

Sunstreaker turned away and casually remarked, "Guess the squishy's dead… too bad."

Sideswipe gave a malicious grin and jumped into action, literally. He leapt into the air and shot on of his massive blades at Ironhide's good leg. The black mech fell to one knee with a grunt, unable to move with the blade slicing through his ankle strut and impaling him to the ground. His grip tightened slightly around Erin's waist and, in a real situation, her insides would of likely coated his servos by then.

For such a large mech, Sideswipe was fast on his two wheels. In a second she was face to faceplates with him. Using his remaining energon blade, he sliced at Ironhide's wrist, causing him to drop her into Sideswipe's waiting servo. Just as quickly as he attacked, the two of them withdrew. Erin sat cradled against Sideswipe's chassis. Erin tried to quell her panicked pulse, hoping the 'bots did not pick it up.

Ironhide remained kneeling, stuck to the ground. He glanced between his leg, Sideswipe, and Erin. "You left your blade to cover your retreat." He stated, somewhat shocked.

Sideswipe said matter-of-factly, "Well, I had to take care of my femme now, didn't I?"

Erin noticed how the hand cupped around her twitched. She leaned ever so slightly to see the top of his wrist spark. Did shooting out his blade injure him? Erin thought they were detachable. He looked uncomfortable. She quickly leaned back away from looking over the edge of his hand. Sideswipe's thumb started to unconsciously rub an imaginary line along her arm. Erin looked up at him and cleared her throat. Immediately, he stopped and looked down a her for the first time. His free hand, blade still unsheathed, rubbed the back of his neck.

"Oh, sorry, Rin." Sideswipe promptly and gently lowered her to the ground so she could jump out of his hand. She felt much better on solid earth.

Erin hear the sound of scraping metal as Sunstreaker, not too gently, yanked the blade out of Ironhide's ankle. From the looks of it, nothing too vital was hit. Most of the disturbed pieces of the leg clicked back into place. Sunstreaker returned the blade to Sideswipe's eagerly awaiting servos.

Ironhide grumbled to himself about how Ratchet was going to have a field day. Erin was unsure of whether he was referring to his own injury or what he planned to do to the twins. He must have wanted to delay the former because he sat down before addressing the group. "Alright, next you'll be doin' team ups. Sideswipe, Erin, you two will be taking on Sunstreaker. Same rules as before."

Sideswipe skated around Erin and stood ready to attack. Sunstreaker got into a mirrored position. Erin pulled out her pistol, there was no way she'd take the yellow mech on with her E-blade. His twin, on the other hand, had no qualms about facing off faceplate to faceplate.

Within seconds, the two were bashing into each other. Sideswipe offered up a roundhouse kick which bounced off Sunstreaker's forearm block. Sideswipe continued the motion with a left handed hook which Sunstreaker also met. He a attempted to jab a knee against his twin but the silver mech skillfully dodged it. Erin trained her sights, a clear opening available. Sunstreaker wasn't even trying to avoid her aim.

The two continued their deadly dance, neither landing a direct hit. Sideswipe skated and flipped around, blades unsheathed, optics intent like a vipers'. Sunstreaker was solid like an ox, giving no ground. They were so different, and yet made a perfect team. Twins. One was the solid foundation, putting emotions aside for both their sakes. The other, terrifying and deadly, yet rescues both of them from themselves… She lowered her weapon and watched as they moved in tandem.

"What's wrong?" Erin was nearly startled by Ironhide's sudden question.

She put her weapon in its holster on her thigh. "I don't think this team-up is a good idea." She sighed.

Ironhide seemed genuinely surprised. "Really?" She gave him a questioning look, prompting him to continue. "Don't get me wrong, those two slag heads are trouble. But, Sideswipe has me somewhat… convinced. Why are you second guessing this?"

She looked up to the two mechs who continued their match, unaware of their onlookers. Each had a wild grin plastered on his faceplates. "They don't need me."

Ironhide looked at her appraisingly. "Those two half-bits live in their own world. It's about time someone breaks them out. I'm willing to give you three a chance if you are."

"I just…" she lowered her head. "I don't know."

"It's not like it's a permanent state of things, either way. Give it a day and recharge on it, ok?" Ironhide gave her an imploring look. For some reason, he had changed his mind about their arrangement. Honestly, she had been even more convinced not to be involved with them, but she also trusted Ironhide's judgement.

"Ok."


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello readers! I hope you are enjoying the story so far. I got tired of the blank photo that came with the story so I sketched what I thought the twins might look like. That is what the rather unimpressive and blurry image you see is. But I am not an artist! Please, if any of you can draw, I would love a new cover image. Just message me. Please!**

 **I do not own transformers. Especially Sunstreaker. I don't think any one could claim to own him. They'd become very, very squished squishies.**

Chapter 9

Mission report.

Data gathering in progress.

Files included:

File A: Details of various training regimens for human soldiers.

File B: Information regarding social interactions between autobots and human soldiers.

File C: Information regarding known decepticons on earth. Locations of deceased decepticons. Last known locations of living decepticons.

File D: Images of possible energon refining plant.

Note: Product appears different from energon rations.

Analysis of Autobot team. Jazz

Third in Command of Autobots. Twelve feet tall. Silver. Pontiac Solstice vehicle form. Combat ability: skilled. Known weapons: Sword, claw-like hands- magnetic ability, pair of energon cannons- in each hand. Manipulation: highly unlikely. Saboteur. Recommendation: threat to mission objective, cautious engagement.

Analysis of Autobot team. Ironhide

Weapons Expert of Autobots. Twenty two feet tall. Black. Topkick vehicle form. Combat ability: highly skilled. Known weapons: extreme weapons capability, do not engage. Manipulation: highly unlikely. Responsible for training human soldiers. Recommendation: analyze fighting patterns for data, otherwise- avoid at all costs.

-Scene Change-

How did this happen? Why him? Why did he even agree to this? Scrap Sideswipe to the pit! Sunstreaker took no expense in letting his animosity flow through the bond. Sides only responded with a half-hearted mental shove. He hated how his twin could manipulate him so easily.

One moment, he was beating the slag out of him for setting up that ridiculous trial, then one thing led to another, and Sides knew his twin didn't have the spark to fight after a good overload so…

After their 'activities', Ratchet came storming in after hearing complaints of their ruckus. Luckily, he seemed none the wiser to what had fully transpired. Either that, or he was more concerned with the gaping holes in Sides's armor.

For once, he was actually happy to be dragged off to Hatchet's med bay. Maybe they would be berth ridden long enough to miss the meeting with Ironhide and the squishy femme. Then Ironhide had to frag it up and drag both of them to the training ground where the squishy was already exercising. Those creatures were so weak that, if they did not constantly train their meaty little bodies, they'd go even softer. There was no fate worse, in Sunstreaker's mind, than being organic. He could not imagine how they managed to live with themselves in such weak and disgusting frames.

Although, he was begrudgingly impressed by the squishy's combat abilities. She could take out Ironhide, although he wasn't fighting with intent to kill. However, just because she had a few skills, did not mean he was willing to work with her, unlike his twin.

It all goes back to that glitched brother of his! The whole situation was fragged up because of him. And that was the message he conveyed when their little 'team sparring match' turned into what the human's call 'a game of cat and mouse', where Sunstreaker tried to bash some sense into his aloof other half. By the time he and his twin ended their fight, Ironhide and the squishy had already left.

At the present moment, Sunstreaker was laying on his berth, exhausted and considering what had transpired earlier that day. Meanwhile, Sides read a primitive human comic book, a victorious smile still stretched across his faceplates.

Sunstreaker let out a growl of frustration. "How do you think this will end, huh?" he suddenly asked while shooting up from his berth.

A mock look of shock crossed Sideswipes optic ridges. "And what is it you may be talking about?"

By Primus, if he wasn't carrying the other half of his spark he'd… "What makes you think that it'd be a good idea for a squishy to team up with us? They're weak! Not even the other 'bots have dedicated team-ups with them. If it joins with us, your pet will be dead _before_ the 'cons come."

"Sunny-" he tisked as if he were speaking to a sparkling.

"Don't call me that!"

"- Remember what Prime said? Human's aren't pets."

"Fragger." Sunstreaker stood and stalked to his brother. "She's human. You know this is a bad idea."

"She's pretty good isn't she?" Sides asked softly as if he hadn't heard his twin.

"Huh?"

"I know you think so too." He leveled a hard glare with Sunstreaker. You could've refused if you _really_ wanted to."

He tried to find a retort, but it got lost on the way out. "Whatever."

Sunstreaker returned to his berth and started his meticulous polishing. While he did not admit it to Sides, a small part of him agreed to the trials so he could see the squishy who beat his brother in action. With that done, there was no other reason to ever see her again. The front liner was not a glitch, he knew there was only so much he could do to protest the team, aside from actually squishing her, accidently or not. But that would be messy. Maybe he could use his cannons. Or throw Sides again. No, even if it was an accident, he'd be thrown in the brig for the next vorn, or worse, take him off the mission roster. The only thing the autobot leadership could do to keep him in line was allow him the sweet release of crushing some 'cons. If they took that away, who knows what he would do? He'd just have to hope that Ironhide won't approve of their little alliance, for everyone's sakes.

-Scene Change-

Prowl was drowning in frustration. His processor, equipped for quick battle analysis, was sorting through every possible scenario. He knew there was a leak somewhere. The data informed him that whomever hacked the NEST computers did it directly. The hacking signature showed it was done using an adaptive algorithm. The program had to combat the ever changing counter measures Prowl had installed after the first hacking. As of the moment, one more known event had occurred, in his very office. While the electronic traces left behind by the hacker could be identified, they did not reveal the recipient of the sent data. In fact, there was no sign that his data pad had sent any information to either an offsite terminal or a directly connected device.

It was possible that even more events may have taken place but neither the programs he sent or whatever Sideswipe created had detected anything. Considering they had to be direct attacks, there had to be at least one agent on Diego Garcia. Improving security with updated key pads did not prevent his office from being infiltrated. The cameras he had installed around vital information depots on the base caught nothing, not even the culprit entering his office. Somehow, the enemy had a way of countering every physical and digital security measure he installed. While it was unlikely a human could do this, it was even less improbable that a decepticon would be hiding out on the base.

Prowl attempted to run simulations with every known decepticon, none would both be successful and leave said signatures behind. It had to be a human agent. His processor ran the possibility of devices a human could use to hack the systems. Most of the disrupted securities ran independently of each other, making infiltration even more difficult. If a human could get past the physical countermeasures, a predownloaded file could potentially stave off the digital security systems. The decepticons had mechs back on Cybertron who could create such programs, however terrifying the thought was.

Soundwave could do it. That thought alone nearly sent Prowl into his battle protocols. He would have no problem adapting the human language to create a unique coding system. As long as his minions collected the proper 'human servants' they might be successful in such an infiltration.

He ran more simulations. If he could find the agent, he could figure out what the overall plot was. All N.E.S.T personnel received thorough background checks. A file crossed his processor. Private Erin Brook. Her history was sealed and she shoed incredible skill for a human. Those indications alone showed she was a prime suspect. However, Colonel Bishop had ensured N.E.S.T that he had performed his own background check of the femme. Apparently, her file was sealed due to a previous mission in which she acted heroically. His logic programming and his guilt fought over suspecting a brave soldier such as Ms. Brook. She would remain a suspect, but he would not rely his entire investigation on her. However, it would be safe to keep an optic on her.

Another file came to mind. Private Francis Sixt. Another recent recruit. While his past is rather uninteresting, he has displayed skilled beyond that which his recommendations had described. He was just behind two other recruits, Ms. Brook included, in combat abilities according to Ironhide. He also was skilled, for a human, in working with computers. He wrote codes that would scan the internet for mention of decepticon activity. He could also scrub any evidence to keep it from the prying eyes of the public. His technological knowledge and skills put him on the list of possible suspects.

While it was possible that a new recruit was the spy, due to the timing of the first hack, it was also possible that there has been a sleeper agent in N.E.S.T. The appearance of a new, and rather large, batch of recruits would distract away from a more seasoned soldier. Prowl sifted through personnel files. He matched any report or record of their locations, marking out whomever would have an alibi. The list was not short in the slightest. It seemed like he would be going without sleep for a while.

Checking his internal chromometer, Prowl quickly stood and headed down the hall to Optimus's office. At some point, he nearly lost track of time and would have been late for his daily security report. He was not the kind of 'bot who would keep anyone waiting, punctuality was engrained in his processor. He gave two firm knocks on Prime's door, a human custom which he had taken to, and entered when Optimus called him in.

"Sir." He greeted as he took a seat in front of Prime's desk.

"Good evening Prowl." The Prime set down the data pad he was looking over. "Have you made any progress in the investigation?"

"Sideswipe is still unable to pull anything from the code. It seems that there is not enough data. I have, however, started a list of possible suspects. After going over the personnel files, I have accumulated a list of a hundred seventy two soldiers. I will go in depth with each file to narrow down the list potential culprits. Also, I have upgraded the security systems as we agreed upon. However, until we find the human responsible, I believe it to be prudent that we assume they have a way of bypassing our security."

Prime did not hide his concern. "Is there no one whom we can consider a main suspect? We only have so much time until the human authorities become involved."

He did not need to clarify the repercussions of what could happen. While the humans were valuable allies, an investigation from external sources would be disruptive on the base. There was also the chance that the humans would become dangerously suspicious of each other if they knew one of their kind was working with the decepticons.

"There are a couple of soldiers whom I hesitantly suspect." Prowl admitted.

"Go on." Prime folded his hands together, watching Prowl over his fists.

"Private Francis Sixt is a new recruit who came the day before the first event. He potentially has the technological knowledge required to pull off such a hacking. And he has no known alibi. Another soldier I suspect is Private Erin Brook."

Prime lowered his optics in consideration. "She does have a peculiar set of skills." Optimus had, in fact, already researched the femme. It was disconcerting that her file was classified, although Colonel Bishop vouched for her. She could speak multiple languages, had impressive physical ability for a human, and kept a calm head even when facing off a cybertronian. If the decepticons wanted to recruit a human, however unlikely that seemed, she would be the ideal candidate.

"I do have an idea for as to how we could monitor her, sir" Prowl added. "We placed Mirage on Team Prime so that we could have Wheeljack watch him closely. I think Sideswipe's idea of working with her may prove beneficial."

"Do you believe the twins would be capable of handling a mission such as this one?" Optimus questioned, sounding less than convinced.

"I think it would be best to allow things to remain on course. Ironhide already stated that he approved of their team, depending on Private Brook's consent. Perhaps we should allow things to continue as they are and stay observant. Sideswipe is nosy and he _is_ intelligent, if Private Brook was up to something, he would likely catch on." Prowl frankly added, "However, if we create false suspicions of her, I doubt Sunstreaker would be of much help. In fact, he would likely just crush her and be done with it."

"I trust your judgement, Prowl. I just hope that Private Brook proves herself to be trustworthy. We need more soldiers like her if we are to finish this war."

"Optimus," Prowl changed the subject, "I unfortunately have another concern. Arcee and the humans she was deployed with have not checked in for twenty seven hours."

Prime sat straighter in his chair, the idea of one of his 'bots being at risk no doubt worrying him. "Have we tried multiple ways of contacting them?"

"Yes. Neither comms nor radios are getting through."

Optimus paused to consider his options. "Continue to attempt contact. I will speak with Captain Lennox. We have allies stationed near there whom know of our existence. We will request an investigation into their last known location."

"Yes sir." Prowl stood and left, allowing his leader some time alone. He would no doubt be feeling the weight of the recent threats to his team. Prowl, however, was not skilled in the art of comfort, and saw it best to leave. He headed back to his own office, ready to continue grinding through personnel files.

"Hey Prowler!" A rather small and jovial mech sauntered down the hall. "You look beat! Let's grab some energon."

"I'm operating just fine, Jazz. I need to focus on work right now."

The silver mech looked less than convinced. "Nuh uh," he grabbed the SIC's arm and pulled him to the rec room, "You are gonna refuel with meh and rest for more than a breem, then we can work on those personnel files together, at least until training later today. Ya hear me?"

Prowl was not surprised the mech knew what he was working on, information gathering was his job, after all. And he was rather good at it. "That sounds… acceptable." He allowed the smaller mech to drag him on, too tired to argue. Jazz always seemed to know when Prowl pushed himself too far. As it so happens, he was also skilled at bringing whatever relief Prowl needed at the time, whether it was a refuel, recharge, or just going out on a peaceful drive. Jazz was good like that.

-Scene Change

This was going to be a mistake. There were countless reasons why she should not be doing this. She wished that Ironhide had just taken her 'no' at face value and did not let her 'sleep on it'. Thanks to that, she was facing off a very ticked off Sunstreaker in a continuation of their team sparring match. What exactly had she done wrong to earn the yellow mech's wrath? Well, she was organic, small, and stood too close to him.

There she was, between two new craters, each releasing a small billow of smoke. No bean bags or paint balls, just the remnants of cannon fire. Sunstreaker stood over her, engine thrumming and fans pushing hot air out of his frame. Erin's legs shook with exhaustion and anticipation. He lunged forward, attempting to grab her. She stood still as his hands came closer. One second left… Half a second left… His massive fingers began to curl around her body. Just as she felt the metal make contact with her skin, she dropped to the ground an rolled forwards in between the 'bot's feet. Sideswipe, who was behind Sunstreaker, undetected by the enraged mech, did the rest. Using his twin's forward motion, Sideswipe made one swift kick to Sunstreaker's back, sending the yellow mech tumbling over face first. The sound of metal screeching on the earth mixed with an infuriated yowl.

Erin and Sideswipe both turned their weapons on the 'bot, ready for retribution. Although, Erin hesitated to shoot him with the paint loaded in her pistol. It would take at least five seconds for her to change cartridges, did she have time? Instead of attacking, the yellow mech rolled over and stood while grumbling what Erin could only assume to be curses in their native language. He had been doing _that_ all morning. It did not take long for Erin to realize that the series of clicks and whistles were actually the Cybertronian language. He stalked a few yards away, both Sideswipe and Erin visually followed him, still waiting for another furious attack.

Sideswipe knelt down to be at a closer eye level to Erin. "Nice job distracting him." His goofy smile did not inform her whether he was joking or actually serious.

She responded with a glare. Yep, she was definitely gonna die.

Erin sat down for a quick breather. This training had been going on for the better part of three hours. That was after, of course, an intense warm up courtesy of Ironhide. It felt less like training in preparation against the 'cons and more like her just trying to survive the yellow brute's rage. Although, the way he interacted with Sideswipe was oddly… comforting? Satisfying? No that sounded weird. Familiar? She pulled herself out of her thoughts, now was not the time to reminisce.

"As much as I _love_ running for my life, how about we change things up?" she suggested, looking up at the pair. Sunstreaker, already disinterested, had pulled out a cloth from somewhere and started wiping dust off his shoulders. Well, he seemed to have blown off enough steam. She continued, "Ironhide has already started giving me basics on cybertronian battle tactics, but from what I hear, front liners like you can have slightly different methods. Care to tell me about them?"

Sunstreaker scoffed, "What's there to kn-"

Sideswipe excitedly jumped in to answer, although he sounded like he was reading and answer off some database, "We're what you might call melee warriors, we fight hard and fast to overwhelm our opponents. Our strategy is less from the processor and more from what you humans would call muscle memory. Our defenses are also different. Unlike other mechs, who have armor that is stronger in some places than others, ours is consistent throughout our frames 'cause-" His lesson was interrupted by a slap on to back of his helm.

"Stop your rambling, you're worse than Bluestreak." Sunstreaker scolded.

Erin ignored their bickering in favor of imagining battle scenarios. The twins offset each other's weaknesses so well. She struggled to see how she could fit in with the pair of warriors.

Past the rather loud pair of front liners, Erin could hear a very distinctive engine noise. A black topkick rolled up behind her and quickly unfolded into Ironhide's massive form.

"How has training been?" he inquired, eyeing the craters in the ground.

The twins had stopped their chatter to face the older mech. Erin wanted to voice her doubts but did not dare do it in front of the others.

Of course, she didn't have to. "Are you sure the squishy can take down a 'con?" Sunstreaker, of course.

Ironhide gave him an incredulous look. "She's been here two weeks and has already proven herself to have the most skill of any human on the base." He pointed a finger at Sideswipe, "She beat your fragged up twin with a paintball gun and a rope on her second day." His tone grew increasingly defensive as he continued. " I think she's as qualified as any 'bot here."

Sideswipe wisely chose to stay silent while Sunstreaker shot Erin a dark glare. He _really_ did not like her.

Ironhide caught their attention again, "Enough chitchat! If you're done playin' around like sparklings, then get to the city-scape. You three will be facein' off Jazz and Prowl."

Erin had yet to really meet most of the other 'bots, yet alone spar with them. She couldn't help but feel a mild sense of excitement that momentarily overtook her apprehension about Sunstreaker.

All three 'bots folded in on themselves into their vehicle modes. Erin could not help but feel impressed. Even after hours of practice, their forms were still shining and smooth. The very sounds they made as they transformed were almost musical, and the roar of their reconfigured engines was something any person would gawk at. The yellow Lamborghini peeled away, leaving a cloud of dust. Ironhide followed suit but the silver corvette remained stationary. It's passenger door opened.

"I'll give you a ride!" Sideswipe's chipper voice came from inside.

There was no way on God's green Earth that Erin was going to get _inside_ of a sentient alien car. "I'll just run. Thanks anyway."

Before she could get more then a couple of steps out, the powerful engine roared as the car, or rather Sideswipe, cut her off. He held his door open expectantly.

"Oh, come on! Most humans would kill to have a chance to ride in a 'vette like me!"

Erin did not see much of another choice. It would take her at least ten minutes to run over to the designated area and she did not want to leave the other mechs waiting. "Fine…" Cautiously, Erin stepped inside. She could feel his engine thrumming through her feet. The seat was surprisingly warm against her back and she couldn't help but wonder how a metal being could make a car seat that was cushioned and felt like leather. That thought was quickly interrupted by Sideswipe's laughter which seemed to surround her, paired with the light bouncing of his alt-mode. Erin instinctively reached a hand toward her E-blade.

"You can relax, you know." This time his voice seemed to emerge from the radio.

Just then, Erin realized how stiffly she was sitting. She was acting like a scared little girl! With determination, she took a silent but calming breath and forced herself to sink back into his seat. How could she loose her mask so easily? False security and calmness coated her once again.

This seemed to satisfy Sideswipe because he wordlessly started to move forward. 'This isn't so bad' Erin thought to herself. As if he read her mind, Sideswipe's engine revved, causing her entire body to shake with the vibration. She willed herself not to grab the door handle or the seat as he shot off. Erin glanced at the speedometer, sixty miles, eighty miles, one hundred miles per hour. It kept climbing but her focus was distracted by the eerie sight of the steering wheel and clutch moving by themselves. It was creepy.

At their speeds, it only took a minute for them to arrive but those seconds were thick with tension for Erin. She knew that, although the 'bots were allies to humanity and they had her reluctant respect, she still had fears directed towards them. She doubted that would have even wanted to ride with Ironhide, had he offered.

"You can get out now, ya know." Sideswipe's amused voice interrupted her thoughts. Erin glanced over to see the open door. "Aww, you're so comfortable you don't want to leave. Don't worry, I have that effect on femmes."

"I was busy thinking of a battle strategy." She lied. Not too quickly, she stepped out, allowing Sideswipe to transform. They joined the four mechs that were waiting for them near the entrance of the fake city where she and Sideswipe first sparred.

Jazz, who's silver armor may have been more flashy than Sideswipe's, sauntered up to Erin. "You all ready for this?" he asked with a notable accent.

Sideswipe gave a 'yup', popping the 'p' sound, Sunstreaker only grunted, and Erin nodded her head.

The smaller 'bot crouched down near Erin. She could barely see the blue glow of his eyes behind his visor. His grin was friendly and seemed genuine, unlike the fake ones she had received from the other 'bots. "Hey'a, the name's Jazz. It's nice to finally meet ya." He presented a clawed hand towards her, palm facing up. She paused for a moment, trying and failing to read his half covered face. She tentatively reached forward and allowed him to gently grasp her much smaller hand. He shook it, careful not to jostle her. "I've heard of your skills, it'll be nice to put them to the test."

"Likewise." She responded, pulling her own hand back. It was not until the contact was lost that she also felt the lack of warmth and energy from his hand. While more fit for a claw machine game, it felt oddly alive.

Ironhide, ignorant to Erin's inner thoughts, got straight to business, "This will be a timed fight. Jazz and Prowl will play the role of the 'cons." He grinned. "Sideswipe will be their prisoner."

'Oh, no.' Erin thought.

"Sunstreaker and Erin must work together to free him and overpower Prowl and Jazz. Since Erin is still too new to this, all rounds used will be at the basic level, paints and bean bags only. Blades will have guards on them."

"Oh," Jazz added with amusement, "and Sunstreaker's not allowed to squish Brook."

'This is not going to end well…'

-Scene Change-

No one was happy. Sideswipe was cuffed and laying on the ground, itching to get into the action. Sunstreaker was forced to work with Erin, rather than just making her sit on the sidelines or 'accidently' stepping on her. Jazz and Prowl were victims of Sunstreaker's rage. Meanwhile, Erin had to avoid her partner, for safety reasons, and rescue Sideswipe.

Sunstreaker begrudgingly consented that Erin should free Sideswipe while he distracted their opponents. He was doing quite well at his job. While the other 'bots were skilled in combat, neither of them would want to go servo to servo with an enraged Sunstreaker. Especially with his brother being vulnerable at the time. Their goal quickly changed from defeating the trio to surviving until the allotted ten minutes was up. They still had seven minutes to go.

Erin did not have time to regard the smash down going on, she was stuck figuring out how to work stasis cuffs. She and Sideswipe were several yards away from the battling mechs, but it would only take a few seconds for one of them to pounce on her.

"Ok, Sideswipe. How can I get these off you?"

Sideswipe, who seemed enraptured with Jazz and Prowl's aft kicking, had not even noticed the little human who approached him. "Oh, Erin! Uh, usually it takes a remote code to open these. You could try cutting the hinges with your E-blade, though."

Erin pulled out her blade and aimed at the hinges.

He slowly added, "But don't hit any internal wires, we'd both be electrocuted."

She froze, tip of the knife an inch from the metal cuffs. 'He could have said that first.' Carefully, she slid her knife along the top of the hinge, hesitating. She had no idea what she was doing. Just how much electricity would she be hit with? "Can Sunstreaker hack into these?"

"Well, he isn't the best at it, but I think the coding will be simple enough. These are just practice cuffs, after all."

She sighed in relief, sheathing her weapon. "I need you to convey a message to Sunstreaker for me. Tell him that I'll distract Jazz and he can take him out. Then I'll distract Prowl while he frees you."

Without another word, Erin ran off towards the ensuing skirmish. The dust that the yellow mech kicked up provided plenty of cover. Unless their scanners were set in search of her, she would be able to sneak up on the 'bots.

During the brief moment she shook Jazz's hand, she had seen marks, like scars marring his frame. He was riddled with weak spots. She ducked and slid in between Jazz's legs, slicing a vital component in his left ankle strut. The saboteur fell onto one knee. Sunstreaker jumped from his assault on Prowl to finish off Jazz. The smaller mech did not have a chance. Erin got the sense there wzx something holding the small silver 'bot back, his optics and hands darted quickly, but the rest of his frame seemed to protest each movement. A couple of pounds against his head had him twitching and sparking on the ground. Still, he tried to stand, and last just a little longer. Prowl attempted to run to his aid but Erin barraged him with ankle biting attacks. If he tried to help, he'd be too distracted and she'd get in a vital blow.

Even with the rubber bullets, one hit would take Erin out of the fight. That would be the case, if Prowl could hit her. She moved randomly around him, slicing at his legs if she was close enough, and periodically releasing low caliber burst from her sidearm. That did not even account for the pain racking his frame from Sunstreaker's earlier barrage. He trained his optics on her hips, hoping they would tell him what her next move would be. However, her own body seemed to contradict the maneuvers she took. When he tried to read her eyes, he got the same result. It was as if her legs, arms, head, all parts of her body moved with independent thought. He felt his logic circuits start to spark.

A mere ten yards away, Jazz fell, too injured to fight on. He tapped the ground in the human gesture of admitting defeat. Prowl took just enough time to see Sunstreaker working on freeing Sideswipe.

Erin took the opportunity to jump up and stab into Prowl's hip. The mech jumped back, slowed by the small injury. In a couple of bounds, the femme was back on him. He tried to bat her away, but she dodged while simultaneously cutting up his wrist. With a quick pivot, the femme made another move for his legs. While she was short, her blade gave her just enough reach to manage another puncture in his hip. This time, Prowl dropped to the ground as his undamaged struts felt the extra pressure. When his optics traveled back up, both the twins and Erin stood before him, weapons unsheathed. Before Sunstreaker could continue his earlier beating, Prowl wisely conceded.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello, I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far! And thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far:** **Guest(s) X4, zudebaby X2, Alice, rybkakoi, aquarius89 X5, SwordOfTheJedi, SunnyandSidesFemme17, TheHeizeEffect, nighten-gale1720, Ekeifer, KyleeChiara, Edges05 X3, xXxThe Scarlett RoseXxX, Loki Tyv, and Miss Rae Fox**

 **I do not own Transformers or any of the video games named in this chapter.**

Chapter 10

"Rin! Not bad! Not bad at all!" Sideswipe rolled up to Erin with his trademark goofy grin. Unlike Ironhide, who would kneel down to be near Erin's eye level, Sideswipe almost always stood at his full height while talking to her. When he didn't, he would lazily plop down on his aft and stretch his legs out. This was not one of those times. His shadow loomed over her as he happily beamed about their victory while Sunstreaker stood menacingly in the background.

Prowl and Jazz had already left to see Ratchet. Jazz seemed unable to transform at the time, most likely because of the punishment Sunstreaker put his through. The pair had left on foot, or pede as they would say it. Erin thought about Jazz's scars, they were different from the marks visible on warriors like Ironhide. While the black mech had obvious scratches and dents on the inner layers of armor, his black outer layers were smooth and shiny like any other truck fresh off the factory line. Jazz, however, was marred with long marks all over his silver chassis. Erin had heard about his major injury four years ago, it seemed he was still recovering. It was odd, she always had the impression that the autobots healed quickly.

Ironhide had also left, claiming he needed to watch Annabelle. Before driving off, though, he requested that Erin see the medic since she was now considered his patient.

"Not bad for our first day, huh?" He never gave her a chance to respond. "Let's go to the rec room, we-or, uh- Sunny and I have some energon with out designations on it!"

Erin paused, regarding the mech. "The autobot rec room? I don't know… I think I should head to the mess hall."

"Nonsense! You can go there later. Don't you want to spend some time with your favorite mech?" Quickly, he brought a hand down and scooped up the unsuspecting soldier.

It took all of Erin's will not to squeak with fright when she was brought up to his chest, cupped securely in his four fingered servo. She couldn't, however, prevent a worried hand from grasping some armor on his chassis while she glanced down.

Unfortunately, Sideswipe seemed to notice her panic. He paused and gazed down at her with a confused look on his faceplates. "Erin…" his voice was filled with a dawning realization.

'Oh, no.' Everything must have clicked for him.

"You're not afraid of heights… are you?"

Erin looked up to be greeted by a wickedly amused smile.

"O-of course not." She immediately felt her stomach drop when he lifted her closer to his face.

"You suuuure?"

"I just don't like being carried around by a frickin' giant!"

"Aw, but I'm harmless. Why would you b afraid of little ole me?" he beamed when she chanced another worried glance to the ground.

"I said I'm not scared of heights!"

Erin thought Sideswipe's smile was evil but…"Is that so?" Sunstreaker's was downright terrifying. She could hear the ground cry as the yellow 'bot stalked closer. Whatever he was thinking, Erin wanted nothing to do with it.

Quickly, Erin's survival instincts beat out her fear, she held her breath and jumped. First she dropped to grip one of Sideswipe's hip components, then allowed herself to fall to the top of his wheel, where she backflipped off to land on sweet solid ground. Without another word, she walked away, heartbeat slowly returning to a normal pace.

Sideswipe tried to pursue her, easily catching up to the much slower human. "Aw, come on Rin. I didn't mean to upset you." Amusement was apparent in his voice.

She shot him a glare, "Back off." Her voice was filled with as much venom as she could conjure. Luckily, it seemed to have worked. The silver mech flinched and stopped following her. She managed to stalk off without his intrusion.

Erin was not in the mood for 'team bonding'. She was so frustrated! She trained so hard just so she could be strong. But even with all her skill, she'd always be weak in comparison to the 'bots. Sideswipe might not have been aware of it, but that was a fact he had rubbed her face in. Erin's fists clentched as she felt her pulse quicken like it had when she was in his hand. She had to calm down.

While keeping an even pace, she took control of her breathing, willing her body to relax. Within seconds, her calm demeanor returned and she continued on, hiding her emotions from the world.

Erin was not feeling very hungry after the event with Sideswipe. Instead, she took the long way to the autobot med bay in hopes the others would have left by the time she arrived. Aside from a few brief encounters, she never had much of a conversation with Ratchet before, or even seen his med bay for that matter. She knew it was in the same building where the twins would be. Not in the mood to see them at the moment, she extended her walk even further, circling several other hangers before she entered through a side door. Of course, she'd have to cut through a giant hallway to reach the bay.

She had never gone in that way, but she knew that going through the first hallway would lead to doors opening up to the second, more familiar one. There was only one door in the short section. It was mech-sized, with no smaller entrance. The plaque near the door had Cybertronian glyphs on it, next to it was a sign in English that read "Humans Keep Out" followed by another sign with huge, handwritten letters, "Please". Erin paused to look at the second sign, she was trying to fill in some extra time anyways. It looked like someone had painted a panel from a wooden crate with a frayed paint brush.

The door itself was different from the mech-sized doors in Prowl's office. This looked like a giant blaster door. The hinges were as thick as her body and the edges appeared to have been reinforced with extra rivets. Overall, the door itself appeared to be relatively new. It lacked the abuse that soft earth metals seemed to receive from the autobots. Beside the door, however, were scorch marks marring the wall on both sides. Erin looked up at the high ceiling and could distinctly see the black marks climbing up and over ten feet. She must have stared at the door for a few minutes, biding her time in hopes Prowl and Jazz would be cleared from the med bay by the time she arrived.

The silent hallway absorbed a tremendous 'boom' as the ground shook slightly. A flash of light appeared from below the giant door. Erin pulled her pistol by instinct, although it was still on a low level burst. The door shook slightly before it was wretched open. Flowing upwards, smoke kissed the ceiling before it was quickly dissipated by thunderous fans.

A blue mech stumbled past the entrance, hand waving away the last wisps of smoke. Hair-like tendrils around his head and neck flashed brightly as he seemed to clear his vocals. Erin returned her weapon to its holster.

"Is everyone out here alright?" The mech glanced around before dropping his gaze to search for the 'vertically challenged', spotting Erin. "Hey kiddo, you ok?" The mech, who's faceplates seemed blackened by soot, dropped to a low crouch to inspect the soldier.

"I'm not the one you should be worried about." Erin couldn't help but stare incredulously at the mech. She had heard about Que before, and seen his image during the first briefing on the plane, but she was already overwhelmed. Besides, a small section of his lighting 'hairs' seemed to be on fire. Erin motioned on her neck where the flames were crackling over the mech. His optics widened a bit before his servo frantically patted the flames out.

"Oh, thank you, dear. I wouldn't want to replace those again." He rubbed at the singed spot, ensuring the flames were all out. "My, what might be year name, dearie?"

Erin managed to regain her composure and straightened. "Private Brook, uh, sir?" She tilted her head to the side as Que dropped even lower, so that his faceplates were a couple feet from the floor as he ran a finger over where the door once stood.

"Hmm, at least it blast wasn't that bad." The 'bot mumbled to himself. "Oh," his helm shot back up, only a few feet from Erin, "Brook, Brook! Year that new Team Prime girly! Great!" The mech's hand swept behind her and ushered her past the blast door with Erin dragging her feet in protest. "That means you are more than welcome in here. I don't get many human visitors."

The mech pulled the blast door close behind them, much to Erin's horror. He ambled over to a giant desk and sorted through a mess of metallic pieces, all of which were around the size of her arm. Erin quickly glanced at her surroundings. The walls were painted with scorch marks. They appeared to have been covered in an off white paint repeatedly; the layers pealed slightly where the blackness was worse. The room had four giant tables, all of which stood several yards from each other. From what Erin could see from the furthest two, they were littered with more pieces of metal junk. Also filling the room were several large machines, some of which the size of Que himself, and none of which Erin could even hope to identify. Notably, the only fragile looking thing in the room was her.

Que mumbled to himself as he sorted through his mess. Victory in his search was announced by a loud "aha!". The inventor turned on his heels and marched back to where Erin awkwardly was standing. She was not entirely sure what she should be doing, but she hoped nothing around her would explode.

"Tell me, what weapons are those, dear?" he pointed to her holsters.

"Um," entirely uncomfortable with the situation, Erin decided she needed to calm down and just go with it, "An e-blade and a energon pistol."

"Good, good. And how do they work for you?"

At least this was a conversation she could follow. "The blade works well, I can cut through armor if I use enough strength, and it's light enough for constant use." Erin rubbed a hand caringly over said weapon. It was by far her favorite. "The pistol's kick is a bit strong for me. I can hit my target; but while at the firing range, I've noticed my recovery time between each shot is diminished compared to normal hand guns."

"Ah, mind if I take a look?" The mech thrust a servo a bit too close to her, palm open and waiting.

Erin relented and handed her weapon over. The mech's optics scanned over the comparatively small device. Humming, he prodded it with a finger. In a quick motion, said finger burst into tens of small metallic devices, all poking at the hand gun. With Que still crouching low, Erin could watch as his multitool finger clicked, screwed, and buzzed away in a flurry of movement. His finger collapsed back down and he handed the weapon back to Erin.

"Give that a try next time you hit the firing range, dear." He smiled proudly at his work.

Erin cautiously picked it back up, the legend of Que creeping into the back of her mind. "It's not going to, um, you know?"

Unfazed, the mech shook his helm, "Oh, no. Only my prototypes do that. That's how you know it's ready for the second phase of trials."

Erin's eyes must have been the size of saucers. This mech was straight up weird. "Ok." She replied weakly, "Thanks, then."

"Oh, girly, could yea check this out for me?" Que's other hand offered a large gun-like device. It had the girth of a rocket launcher, and its overall shape was like a long rectangle.

Cautiously, she gripped the device. It took a bit of effort on her part to heft it up into her own arms. It might as well have been made of solid iron.

"That is my prototype for a new weapon for the humans on Team Prime." The blue mech stated, waving his hands around as he spoke, "It is a miniaturized version of a shoulder blaster, just what I was working on a moment ago."

Erin's heart dropped as she froze. "This isn't going to explode is it?"

"No, no." The mech laughed and waved off her concern. "This is just a model, there's no power cell."

"Oh, ok." Slightly more at ease, Erin inspected the device. The trigger was the only familiar part of the weapon's body. It was mostly blue with glass-like black indents in the stock. "Well, if you want humans to use this, the weight would be a problem. Most of the men wouldn't be able to carry this for very long."

Que nodded, "As I feared." He reached over and relieved Erin of the model weapon. "I can tinker with the materials a bit." He mumbled on, "Perhaps if I used high density plastic around the middle stock walls, I could reduce the weight enough." The mech glanced back to Erin, "Thanks for your input, dear."

"It's no problem," she waved his gratitude off, "but I believe Ratchet is expecting me, so I should get going." Erin hopefully inched towards the door.

The mech stood and nodded in a friendly manner, "Right, right. I'll open it for yea, dear. Sorry to hold yea for long. Swing by my lab or the rec room some time, I'd like to pick year brain some more, if you don't mind."

"The autobot rec room?" Erin walked over to the door, which Que wretched open.

"Nah, I mean the human one, of course."

"You go to the human rec room?" Erin had never really been there herself. She knew of its location, but she never felt the need to hang out with the other men. She got enough social interaction from Franky alone.

"Yeah, I like to hang out with the soldiers there, get to know 'em." He smiled widely. "Though, I never see yea there. The men are always saying femmes would make it more fun there."

"I'm sure they do." Erin grumbled. This mech seemed a bit 'unaware'. "Well, it was nice to finally meet you."

"Same to yea, dear." The mech waved before gently closing the blast door behind him.

'Well that was… odd.' Erin thought as she moved forward through the set of human sized doors leading to the other hallway.

Erin had been there once before. Ironhide had taken her to Prowl's office so she could get approval to receive her E-blade and pistol. The hallway she was trekking down first contained Prowl's office, then a few storage rooms before cornering on Prime's office space. At the turn was another stretch with only two doors, one was for the med bay. Only, Erin was not sure which. There were no signs and the massive front sliding doors were identical, each with a much smaller, human sized, door to the side. Marks were the plaques once hung were still present on the walls. Sideswipe probably hid them. One on either side of the hallway… left or right? Taking a gamble, she turned right.

It only took a second for her to realize it was the wrong door. Stretched out before her was another hallway lined with several giant sliding doors. Curiosity taking over, she strode down the hallway. Unlike the other rooms, there were no adjacent human-sized doors and none of the plaques were written in English. Instead, foreign glyphs were laser engraved on them. Erin realized that she must have stumbled upon the cybertronian private rooms. Not wanting to be caught snooping, she headed towards the exit. Unfortunately, off to her right, a door slid open.

"Rin!"

'Oh, no.' Erin looked up to see Sideswipe's goofy smile.

"If you wanted to join us in the wash racks, you could have asked." He waggled his brows suggestively.

Erin could not stop the pink tint that graced her cheeks at his comment. He was just trying to get a rise out of her but mortification set in as she realized that she was giving him just what he wanted. Behind him, Erin could see a large room with what looked like oversized, retrofitted, shower heads several yards above the ground. Four drains lined the floor. It seemed to be a communal shower place with no curtains. Would the even need curtains? Could 'bots get even more naked than they already were?

"Shut up, fragger." Sunstreaker pulled Erin out of her musings as he pushed his twin through the threshold. "Out of my way, squishy." He briskly walked by, leaving Erin and Sideswipe as he turned into another door.

"Well," Erin grumbled, "isn't he a ray of sunshine."

Sideswipe heartily laughed, his voice filling the hallway. "He's not as bad as he seems." He crouched down toward her. "Just between you and me, there's not a 'bot with a bigger spark than Sunny, he's just good at hiding it behind all that glossy paint."

"I'll take your word for it." Erin mumbled back, not quite believing the mech.

"What brings you here anyway? Aside from wanting to see your favorite mech of course."

"I was heading to the med bay and took a wrong turn. Besides," Erin added with a smile, "Ironhide's out with Annabelle."

"That burns femme."

Not knowing what else to say, she turned to leave, waving goodbye to the mech. "I gotta go, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Hey Rin!" Sideswipe pointed at a door on the far end of the hallway. "The rec room's down there if you change your mind. The offer still stands."

She turned back to him, scanning his optics. He wasn't going to prank her, was he? "I'll… think about it."

"Oh, and Rin…" Sideswipe returned to his full height. "I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to scare ya."

She wanted to snap back and say she wasn't scared. Instead, she calmly replied, "I'll see you around, Sideswipe." She turned again and headed out the human sized door and into the med bay.

The bay was not as large as Erin expected it to be, not to say that it was small in any way. The room consisted of two giant bed-like slates- devoid of any Second or Third in Commands- and two oversized desks with various pieces of equipment neatly laid on top. Another pair of doors was in a corner, the plaque next to one in both glyphs and English read, "Ratchet's Office". The other one read, "Private Room".

Just as Erin closed the door behind her, the larger door on the opposing wall opened. "You better be either human or have a good reason for not comming me!" a rather angry Ratchet, or simply Ratchet, stopped short of what could have been a long rant when he saw who had entered. "Ms. Brook, sorry about that." his voice changed to something much calmer, "I'm glad you came to see me. Please, step over here." He motioned to the autobot-sized beds.

Erin noticed a stairway lining the foot of one of the beds. 'Great' she thought sourly. Ratchet waited patiently while she trecked up. Once she was seated in the middle of the cot, far away from the edge, Ratchet presented her with a glass-like object, about three inches wide and five inches long.

"This is your new data pad, every member of team prime gets one. You'll be able to connect to any autobot or human member of the team using this device." Ratchet gave her a second to look at it questioningly, turning the opaque blue object in her hand. "To activate it, swipe a finger over the screen. To call someone, all you have to do it speak their name while holding it in one hand. You can unfold it into a larger pad by squeezing both sides."

Erin obeyed the last piece of advice and the data pad unfolded and seamlessly clicked into place. Somehow it remained the same thickness as before. Curious, she squeezed it again and it unfolded into an even larger pad. A third time seemed to be the limit, though. Once the medic's patience ran out, the now larger screen blinked into a document. Erin looked up to Ratchet.

"You'll have time to play with it later. For now, I would like to run a basic scan and fill in any gaps in your medical history. The pad shows the information I need. Once you are finished I will run a quick, painless scan."

Erin looked down and read the questionnaire. It already had some spaces filled with her documented medical records.

'Family history', she put 'unknown'.

'Injuries during military service', Erin thought about this. Erin saw on the form that under 'Other Injuries' was a description of a window accident, causing severe scarring on her back and ankles. Since the medic was going to do some kind of advanced alien scan, he would probably see all her scars, she might as well be forward coming. How much should she write? 'Lacerations on abdomen and forearms, November 2007. Broken arm, February 2008. Concussions, April and June 2008. Lacerations on abdomen October 2008. Bullet wound in lower back, July 2009. Broken leg, laceration on hip, January 2010. Bullet in left shoulder, June 2010. Broken hand, fractured hip, laceration on shoulder and abdomen, concussion, August 2010.' Her bones ached as she documented her major injuries since turning 18. Was it really that many? While the scars under her clothes were unsightly, she never thought much about the damage under the skin.

She continued to fill out basic information while the autobot medic thumbed through one of his desks.

"I'm finished." She announced. The screen in her hands flashed and the document disappeared.

Ratchet turned to her, optics slightly dimmer than before. "So it seems." He paused as his optics brightened back, regarding the girl before him. "Tell me Ms. Brook, why are most of your records sealed?"

"Prior to joining NEST, I was in an experimental military training program. All participants had their personal histories sealed or removed."

"And you cannot divulge any more information, even with your medical officer?"

"No."

"Can you tell me who your former medic was?"

"No."

His tone became dangerous, "That's too bad."

Erin flinched. "Why?"

"Because, I was hoping to find him and beat him with every medical text I could get a hold of." He explained simply, anger seething through his calm exterior.

"Wha-"

"Only a medic from the pit would approve of a human going on dangerous missions in quick succession after such injuries! What makes you think I would approve of you joining Team Prime considering your medical history?!"

"I passed my physical without any prob-"

"Do you think I care about a fraggin' human physical?" I knew there was something wrong when you challenged Sideswipe!" Ratchet was looming over her. His fist smashed down on the table next to her, barley causing a dent on the presumably strong metal. Erin began to fear for her safety.

"Why don't you just scan me and see for yourself?" 'Great idea! Have the angry giant robot shoot you with his scanning laser thingy.' Erin thought sourly.

"Hold on," Ratchet seemed to gain a bit of control over himself. "I am going to do a deep scan." Erin did not like the way he said those last two words. "This may be _uncomfortable_." A deep blue light emanated from his optics and traced over Erin.

The scan felt like acupuncture gone wrong. With her teeth grit, and eyes shut, she bore through the 'uncomfortable' feeing. As the light disappeared, Ratchet made a disappointed grunt. Erin took a moment to reorient herself.

"What the frag did you do to yourself?" he questioned.

"Training?" Erin was not sure whether she was answering him or asking.

"Training my aft. There is still a bullet in your shoulder." he said plainly, hands on his hips.

This caught Erin by surprise. 'What the fuck? I thought they got it out!' Apparently that 'successful surgery' she had did not include the removal of the _bullet_. Why hadn't they at least told her?

"It does not seem to cause any risk to you, I would not recommend surgery for its removal, it would add to the scarring already built up and impede your upper body movement."

"O-ok." Erin still did not like the thought of having a foreign piece of metal stuck inside of her.

"The bottom half of your latissimus dorsi… you lower back hurts, right?" he questioned, already certain of the answer.

Erin decided to nod in affirmation.

Ratchet reached his hand towards Erin, she could not help but feel apprehension. A small part of his finger unfolded and three pills lifted up. "Take these for the pain. I recommend heating it before training and icing it after."

"Ok."

"By recommend, I mean that if I find out you aren't taking care of yourself, I will hunt you down. Ask anyone here, no one can hide forever."

"Uh…"

"I've sent a memo to the base's physical therapist, he'll be expecting you tomorrow at your earliest convenience."

"Um, than-"

"Tonight, of course, you will refuel immediately after you leave here. Your blood sugar is low, it is obvious you have not eaten enough today."

"Well I-"

"I expect you to get more recharge. I can tell you have not been resting your body enough. I should have expected this, considering exhaustion leads to _poor_ judgement."

"I'm just-"

"Malnutrition and sleep deprecation with impede your body's healing. It seems all you humans forget this." His voice gradually began to rise.

"Isn't that a bit unfa-"

"You may have impressive capabilities, from what I have heard, but keep this up and the physical toll will put you out of commission within the next five years!"

Erin gave up on trying to speak and resigned herself to what would become a very, very long lecture.

* * *

Erin stumbled out of the med bay, mentally exhausted from Ratchet's lecture. ' _These 'bots are crazy'_ she thought, worried for her own sanity. Erin decided to head straight for the mess hall. The last thing the wanted was another malnutrition talk.

Erin was already planning out the healthiest possible meal that would get the medic's seal of approval as she not so slowly headed for the exit. She'd have to find something not processed that still had a bit of sodium. It seemed that they never salted the hot food and there were no salt packs anywhere on the base.

Behind her, she could hear the clanking footsteps of a cybertronian. The long strides quickly caught up as a shadow loomed over her. The footsteps stopped practically on top of her as Erin also halted. Slowly, she turned to stare into the azure optics of a very pissed off yellow front liner.

"Can I help you?" she asked, trying to hide her uncertainty.

"Stay out of my way." The mech growled. He didn't have to say anything, though. The disgust in his optics said it all.

"Well there's plenty of room," her hand swept out towards the large hallway, "I don't take up much space."

"You know what I mean!" He took a threatening step forward, nearly crushing her feet under his. "Sideswipe may think it's fun to play 'pet' with you humans, but I want nothing to do with you! You're weak, disgusting creatures! Look at yourself, you're just greasy meat sacks!" His hand gestured wildly as he started to pace across the hallway, mumbling various insults.

"Primus below, what was that half-clock thinking?" With each turn, his pace quickened. Erin got the distinct impression that he may have forgotten about her presence, or just no longer cared. "That malfunctioning, two-bit, knock-off. Glitching out for a fleshy."

Erin couldn't help but mutter, "Why don't you tell me what you really think." She was under no delusion that, if Sunstreaker wished it, he could easily squish her. However, she was hardly one to stand down.

He turned on his heels to fully face her. "Look squishy," his tone calmed eerily, "if you have any survival instincts, you'll quit while your meaty insides are still intact." Deciding that their little chat was finished, Sunstreaker turned on his heels and headed to the door leading to the berth rooms.

Erin felt as if her blood was boiling from the way he talked down to her. It was what she expected coming from a supposedly 'superior' race, but hearing it from that pompous jerk, she just felt pissed.

"Hey!" She ran after him, choosing to go through the human sized door as he wretched the giant sliding one closed. "Have I not proven myself already?" She had to jog alongside him in order to keep up. "How many humans do you know of that can take on a 'bot one on one?"

"Sideswipe may be an idiot, but in a real fight, you would've been a smear on the ground." Sunstreaker never even glanced at her as he continued stomping forward. "The only thing that's kept you alive these past couple of weeks is Prime's order not to harm humans." He quickened his pace, forcing Erin to run.

"So Sideswipe, Prowl, Jazz, and Ironhide all let me kick their asses?"

"Beginner's luck."

"I didn't become a soldier two weeks ago. I've been doing this for a while!"

The mech stopped abruptly and turned to Erin, kneeling threateningly close. "I've been fighting 'cons since before your ancestors were forged from whatever goo you squishies are made of. So when I tell you that you won't survive, I'm speaking from experience." A cynical smile grew over his faceplates. "Don't take it as a threat. It's a warning from the _brightness_ of my spark." The last words came in a growl

"Rin!" Erin barley suppressed a sign as the jovial giant himself wheeled up to her "Everything, uh… ok?" Sideswipe asked cautiously, eyeing both Erin and his twin.

Sunstreaker grunted, "Fine. The squishy was just-"

"'Accepting your invitation from earlier." Both mechs stared down at the human with mixes of shock and either excitement or anger. She smiled at the yellow front liner. "Teammates should get to know each other after all."

"Great!" Sideswipe ushered her into the rec room, leaving a silently fuming Sunstreaker in the hallway.

Erin did not know what to expect from an autobot rec room but she did think that she would see something at least remotely alien. Instead, she entered a large room with mech-sized furniture that seemed to be made of either concrete or metal. There were two 'couches' sitting in front of an oversized screen. Hanging to the ceiling was a projector that let out a faint glow. On the other side of the room were three tables with benches lining either side. Sitting on one of the benches, each with a glowing blue cube in hand, were Jazz and Mirage. They did not seem to notice Erin and they most likely ignored Sideswipe and Sunstreaker as the twins headed towards the couches. Erin was sure to give Sunstreaker a wide berth after he nearly stepped on her in passing.

The slabs of concreate were stacked to reach higher than her head. She jumped and caught her hands on the edge. Erin swung her legs to the side and used the momentum to heave herself up. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Sideswipe looking slightly put off, still holing out a hand he had apparently offered her. She, however, was not in any mood to be carried by the silver mech, or any 'bot for that matter. Erin made sure to sit far from the edge of the couch, not that there was much of a fall, but still.

Sunstreaker nonchalantly sat as far from Erin as physically possible while being on the same couch. Sideswipe fumbled around a case by the projection screen. He pulled out two hunks of… something. When they came closer, Erin recognized them to be giant game controllers. He handed one to Sunstreaker and sat close to Erin, she scooted over slightly to get some room. He reached down and presented her with a wireless human-sized game controller.

"I don't think Sam would mind you borrowing this."

She hesitantly took the device. "You mean Sam Whitwicky?"

"Yeah, it's his. Only he and a few other humans ever enter the rec room." He explained.

Erin knew that the Whitwicky guy was a close friend of the autobots, maybe not all of them… But he only visited while on break from college. His autobot guardian, Bumblebee lived with him at all times.

"So! What do you want to play? We can download any game you can imagine. Halo, World of Warcraft, Mario cart…" Sideswipe looked down at her expectantly, optics shining.  
"Uh, well…" Erin could not believe how surreal life had gotten. Playing video games with aliens. "I-I don't know. I've never plated a video game before."

"WHAT!" Everyone seemed shocked by Sideswipe's sudden outburst. Jazz and Mirage raced over to see what was going on, both gave questioning looks to the human seated uncomfortably close to a very animated mech. "How could you have never done this before?" he waved the controller around.

"Well, my foster parents were kind of strict and never really allowed them." She quietly added, "Is it such a big deal?"

The silver mech's head dropped as if he was grieving. "I'm sorry, you must have had a depraved childhood."

"What?" Her voice cracked. Was a refugee from dead planet really calling her childhood depraved?

He suddenly perked up, shaking the furniture under both of them. "Well, no more! I'll teach you everything you need to know." Yup, life was surreal.

Sideswipe was a dedicated mentor. He excitedly taught her the ins and outs of how the controllers worked and took her through a demo of Halo, Mario Smash Bros, Lego Star Wars, and Mario Cart. Sunstreaker sat in his corner, occasionally huffing to himself or snickering whenever Erin's avatar died, which was often. Erin could not say she enjoyed the experience, but she did not hate it either. She was not very good, but every time she showed a hint of improvement, Sideswipe would get excited. Of course, he was also ecstatic every time he beat her. He was just a rather energetic mech altogether, although a part of it seemed forced. Erin did not fail to notice the duo of spectators that had gathered around them, not watching the game, but the interactions between the odd trine on the couch. Jazz and Mirage both stood behind the new Team Prime members, gazes drifted to each of them. They seemed rather star struck. After a couple of hours with neither of them uttering a single word, Erin began to worry that they were malfunctioning. She had heard something about one of the 'bots having some kind of glitch. She was aware that Cybertronians could speak through internal comms, but their silence still caught her attention.

Just as her ghost-character-thing fell off a cliff, much to Sunstreaker's amusement, Erin heard the loud steps of yet another 'bot who most likely came to watch the oddity before them. She was going to ignore whoever it was, until she felt a trademark tingle overtake her body. At the same moment she realized she felt rather hungry. She'd forgotten to eat. 'Oh, No.'

"Well, Ms. Brook, it seems that in the short amount of time you've been acquainted with the twins, you have already developed their habit of ignoring my medical advice." He sounded calm. Too calm. After hours of lecture from the 'bot, she knew he did not do calm. " Did I not tell you to refuel after your checkup?"

The spectators whom had gathered around the couch dissipated. Meanwhile, Sideswipe and Erin were frozen, backs straight, controllers still in hand. Erin's first instinct was to give an excuse. Her second instinct was to kick her first one into the atmosphere. She turned to face the angry medic who was wielding a _very_ large wrench. In the two weeks she'd been on Diego Garcia, two things were often repeated. Watch out for the twins, and watch out for flying giant wrenches. 'Crap.'

"I'm sorry sir," she quickly tried to gain her composure, "I have no excuse. I'll head over now."

Ratchet seemed a bit taken aback by Erin's short and appropriate response. "Well… I… just- don't do it again."

"Yes, sir." Erin jumped off the couch, praying the 'bots did not see her close her eyes as she did so.

"Wait." Sideswipe jumped up as Erin quickly stepped back, not wanting to be crushed. "Let me drive you there, I'm the one who distracted you after all."

His sincere look almost made up for the uncomfortable position he had inevitably put her in. She really did not want to ride _inside_ of Sideswipe but she did not want to display her nervousness in front of the 'bots.

Behind her, Erin heard the clanking of a wrench on Ratchet's hand. "I knew you'd leave a negative influence on her. If she comes back to the med bay malnourished or otherwise injured because of your antics, I'll reformat you and your pit-spawned twin into a car wash! At least then you'd be of some use."

Sideswipe put up his hands in a placating manner, "Now, now Hatchet, take it easy." Ratchet threateningly raised his prized weapon, making Sideswipe step back. "Runaway!" Sideswipe yelled as he transformed into his alt-mode.

His passenger door raised over Erin's head and swung over her back to push her into his cab, head first. She curled her legs to avoid getting crushed by the closing door. Erin had no doubt in her mind that everyone watching could hear her scream the offending 'bot's name as he peeled away towards the exit.

Unfortunately for Sideswipe, cars can't open doors. He turned sharply and swung around the couch again. Erin was pulled down by the motion, unable to straighten herself on the seat as she laid over the center console. Sideswipe narrowly dodged a large wrench aimed for his bumper as Ratchet pulled another one out of God-knows-where as Sideswipe made another attempt for the door.

Meanwhile, Erin's string of horrified curses never ceased, apparently much to the amusement of Jazz who was doubled over with laughter. During Sideswipe's second attempt at freedom, Sunstreaker had casually walked to the exit, where he wretched the door open. Sideswipe happily honked his horn as he made his getaway, with Erin still captive.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello, spottedpath here. This was not the chapter I was originally going to post, but a shot of editor's block delayed the other chapter so I added this one in. Thanks to my two wonderful reviewers, Edges05 and aquarius89! Thank you!**

 **Please enjoy! -And forgive google translate-**

Chapter 11

Mission report.

Data gathering in progress.

Files included:

File A: Personal observations of autobot interactions with human leadership.

File B: Basic data regarding observed cybertronian frames. Physical weaknesses. Advised attack strategies.

File C: Information regarding energon-based swords.

File D: Analysis of materials used to refine energon.

Note: Gathered from various shipping records.

Analysis of Autobot Team: Ratchet

Medical Officer of Autobots. Twenty feet tall. Neon yellow. Hummer emergency vehicle form. Combat ability: minimal. Known weapons: Several medical tools within hands, medical scanners- may cause dizziness, wrench- throws with accuracy. Manipulation: highly unlikely. Recommendation: use as willing and unwitting information source.

Analysis of Autobot Team: Arcee

Stealth soldier. Nine feet tall. Pink. Aprilia RSV 1000 R vehicle form. Combat ability: hand to hand specialist. Known weapons: Energon cannon, formed from each hand, number of shots based on energon in system. Manipulation: unlikely. Recommendation: possible engagement. Currently MIA. Last known location: Alsace, France July 6.

* * *

Sleep was a precious gift, one Erin wholeheartedly enjoyed. Nothing disturbed her in the dreamless darkness. She didn't feel the soreness of old wounds or the stress of working towards ever evading perfection. And she certainly didn't face off terrifying giant robot monsters. Although, it seemed that one of said creatures did not care whether she had already escaped into the freedom of sleep.

An endless buzzing tore her from the comforting nirvana back into the starchy sheets that clung to her heat moistened skin. An ebb of light shone through her shutters, just enough to give an outline to the furniture in her small room. A sudden flash of light illuminated the space, giving color to the creamy-white sheets and walls before secluding Erin back into darkness. A tired hand reached for the offending data pad just as another shot of light further tore the woman from her ever peaceful sleep.

Sideswipe. His name flashed once again over the brightened screen, indicating a third message. Erin clicked on the strobing icon.

'Hey! Just wanted to say you were pretty kick-aft today!'

'Sorry about Sunstreaker trying to kill you'

'Not that he _really_ wanted to squish or shoot you'

Another message flashed up, 'He's really not as bad as he seems'

Couldn't the 'bot just put all his thoughts into one message? Even better, couldn't he just wait till morning to sound patronizing. Erin glanced at the time. Thirty minutes had passed since she'd fallen asleep.

Another series of messages appeared, 'I think you're starting to grow on him'

'I just wouldn't recommend being alone with him for a while'

'By the way, we won't be able to train with you tomorrow' Couldn't he have led with that?

'Sunstreaker got into a scuffle with Ironhide so we're in the brig now.'

Before he could continue the string of one sentence messages, Erin typed a quick reply, 'Understood.' She then shut off the data pad and turned over in her bed to get back to sleep.

Unfortunately her thoughts were plagued by giant pissed robots. Erin constantly tried to avoid thinking too hard about her situation. Even though she worked regularly with Ironhide, she couldn't exactly say she liked any of the autobots. Sure, she respected them. But even as she held her own against the 'bots, she was terrified. If she avoided thinking about it, though, she could keep her mind clear from the pesky emotions. However, in the silence of her room, being fully conscious thanks to Sideswipe's antics, her mind dwelled on the predicament she found herself in.

It was difficult enough having them as allies; but Sunstreaker was a whole different monster. Regardless of Sideswipe's rather poor assurances- which seemed to Erin as attempts to humorized the situation, Sunstreaker undoubtedly hated her. On top of that, he genuinely tried to vaporize her with his cannon. In the heat of the moment, Erin could brush it off as intense training. However, reviewing her memories, she could clearly recall the disgust in his optics as he aimed the weapon at her. If she was killed by 'accident', he wouldn't have minded in the least. She couldn't entirely blame him. Erin could somewhat understand where he was coming from. To the autobots' humans were small, weak, and often mere pests. Unfortunately for the yellow front liner, they also needed the humans. Their aid was the only thing giving the 'bots an advantage over the decepticons. Once their usefulness ran out, though, Erin could only imagine what the seemingly diplomatic 'bots might do with their human partners. She was not one to put blind trust in other people, just like how Sunstreaker knew better than to trust humans. In his position, she would do the same thing. Well, not the exact same thing, but to each their own.

Even though she acted nonchalant around the 'bots, in the seclusion of her bed, she shook with fear from the day's events. How many times had she nearly been killed? Why did she want to further anger the yellow front liner? She'd been on the base for just over a week, how much longer could she last?

To formulate a possible answer to this question, she had used her data pad, which contained an impressive amount of information, to do some research. Erin had checked to see if there were any autobot-caused human deaths, accident or otherwise. While none were listed, her data pad shown a number of accidents. Apparently, an impressive number of soldiers had left the base due to psychological trauma. No names were given, only numbers. There were two events described where humans had been hospitalized after nearly being stepped on- accidently- by 'bots. There was a case where five humans were caught in a small explosion prior to Que's lab becoming off limits. There were a few cases of burns caused by leaking from cybertronian wounds. Nothing listed was fatal. Somehow, the men on the base had yet to suffer a casualty due to the autobots. If they could survive, Erin should be able to as well. Although, none of them had worked closely with Sunstreaker before.

Not getting anywhere with sleeping, Erin decided to take a shower. Luckily, only a few soldiers ever used the same wash racks as her, leaving them empty most of the time. At that late hour, no one would be by to intrude. The water in the showers never warmed to the scalding heat Erin enjoyed, but they were still decently warm. Not bothering with any soaps or hair products, this shower was just for relaxation after all, Erin climbed in and relished in the steaming warmth that enveloped her. She could stay there for hours, or at least until she was tired enough to fall asleep without constant visions of getting squished.

She let out a low hum that couldn't be placed with any particular tune. Singing in the shower, after all, didn't have to be perfect. Knowing she was alone, Erin whispered a few verses of various songs, letting the rushing water hide her voice. She wasn't bad at singing, far from it, but she didn't particularly like performing either. So, she opted to quietly let loose in the haven for any singer. That, was the magic of showers.

* * *

Diego Garcia was abuzz over the newly formed team. Erin was not sure what to expect when her name and face became well known by the other soldiers, but their apprehension was certainly unexpected. Admittingly, the twins had a certain aura of danger around them and it seemed that in the day since they formed the team, their state of being extended to her. That morning, Erin instantly noticed how the men would give her a wider berth. Franky and Adam still sat with her for breakfast, but the former had unending questions.

Even during training, the other men seemed apprehensive to spar with her. Ironhide, however, had no qualms taking Erin on, of course. In fact, during their evening rounds, he had no mercy for her. This may have been due to their new spectators.

Annabelle and Captain Lennox showed up to watch, and the little girl became absolutely enamored within moments. She watched in wonder as Erin dodged the black mech, slashing at his leg. The first bout she witnessed, the little girl was nearly in tears. Not because her guardian was, from the look of it, attacking a human, but because Erin managed to nick his servo and there was the smallest of brief dribbles of energon.

After Ironhide had assured the girl that he was fine and wanted the soldier to fight him, she became enamored with watching them spar. Her father, Captain Lennox, also watched in fascination as a small human girl took on his friend and guardian.

"Come on, Brook!" Don't let him get you that easily!" the Captain called after Erin was swept clean off her feet by the mech's servo.

Ironhide turned indignantly, "I thought you were on my side!" he grumbled.

"Yay, Iwonhide!" Annabelle cheered.

Laughing, Lennox called back, "You have Annabelle!"

Erin took the opportunity the distraction offered to jump onto her feet and dodge under the mech. She quickly pivoted and jumped to reach a strut behind his knee. Quickly, she climbed up, using the various exposed mechanisms and divets in his armor to aid her assent. The autobot clawed at his back for her, but his bulk limited his range. As a servo swung down to knock her off, she gripped his back with one hand and swiveled herself away. Ashe the arm swung back up, she gripped the back of his wrist. His upward motion swung her up to his helm where she latched on, legs crowded around his neck. Her e-blade pricking at a vital vein hear his spinal strut. The mech froze, knowing she got him.

Erin was not quite satisfied, it was her first win the entire day. The weapons specialist seemed especially motivated to impress when little Annabelle was around. As a result, he did not go quite as easily on Erin. The earlier distraction was exactly what she had been looking for.

"Alright," Ironhide grumbled, "how about we take a rest." The mech knowingly grabbed Erin by the waist and, very slowly, lowered her to the ground. It seemed that he had caught on to one of her 'imperfections'. The tough mech who was known for belittling trainees with odd alien insults, for some reason had decided not to point out her glaring weakness. For that, she was grateful. Although, most of the abuses he shouted had little emotional impact on the soldiers. He never called out race or gender stereotypes. And some of them would not really apply to a human, such as 'rust belted piston heap' or 'malfunctioning slag sucker'. That may have been his intention.

"Hey Brook!" Captain Lennox approached with Annabelle at his side. He patted Erin on the shoulder. "Way to represent!" he was simply beaming. Something about seeing Ironhide's aft kicked every once in a while seemed to make the man's day.

The black 'bot settled himself on the ground, his vents hissing with the release of built up heat. Annabelle quickly crawled into his offered hand and he deposited the little girl on his leg. Erin couldn't help but admire the child's trust.

The mech huffed, "I doubt that femme is much of a representation."

The man shook his head, "You sure? Hey Brook, what do you say? Think there are more like you?"

The soldier settled herself, tired from sparring and accepted a water bottle silently offered by Ironhide. "Well that depends on what you mean."

"What I mean is," he knelt down beside her, "do you know anyone with natural skill like yours. I've been training with the 'bots for years but I've never been able to take them on without back up. And you do it with a knife and hand-gun!"

"Well," Erin thought carefully about her answer, her training was top secret after all, "it's not like I've been issued any other energon-based weapons, so I have to work with what I've got. As for others who could take the 'bots on, I know a few. We underwent the same training."

"Then why aren't they here?" Ironhide questioned.

"There's pretty competitive recruitment of the graduates. They get spread around the world for various American military entities. Do you know who carried out Neptune Spear? 'Cause I know two of the men." She smiled at Lennox's wide eyes. Ironhide's optics dimmed slightly, most likely searching for the meaning. After a moment, he too, looked at least mildly impressed.

"So, how many of these other humans do you know of that could take on a 'con?" Ironhide asked, optic ridge raised.

"With the proper training, I personally know of four humans who would definitely surpass me."

"Four doesn't represent the planet." Ironhide stated.

"It's more than one." Lennox argued.

They could be focused on sobering thoughts, such as secret high risk battle training. Instead, they argue over minutia like statistics. It was oddly refreshing. In the end, they decided to call it a day, after seeing Annabelle's head bob with fought off sleepiness.

"Hey Brook," the Captain asked as he offered her a hand up, "why don't you come over to our place?"

Erin blinked dumbly at him. "For more training?"

He barked a laugh, "Nah, for dinner. Is that really all you think about?"

"Dinner?" She repeated.

"Yes, an evening meal, during which people tend to gather and engage in conversation. 'Hide has spoken highly of you so Sarah and I would like to have you over, get to know you."

"Oh, ok." Erin was not one to pass on an invitation from a superior officer. Nonetheless, she was surprised, usually, people only paid attention to her if it benefited them. The Captain seemed mainly interested in a friendly evening. At least she'd have a chance to observe the man. He was highly regarded by the 'bots, according to Ironhide. Perhaps she could better figure him out.

"Well, come on then." Ironhide called as he transformed down to his top kick form. As Erin saw Annabelle disappear under the mass of twisting metal, her heart dropped. However, the doors swung open to show a little Annabelle strapped inside the back. In a car seat, nonetheless. Since when did he have that?

Erin struggled not to giggle at the odd sight. Lennox, however, did not hesitate to climb into the driver's seat. Erin, though, stilled at the thought of riding inside the 'bot. Dealing with being in Sideswipe's alt was harrowing enough. The Captain caught her hesitation and beckoned to her, "Come on, 'Hide can't bite in this form." Ironhide's engine seemed to growl at the comment.

Erin let out a calming breath, steeling herself. She quietly climbed into the truck. It was warm, but not in the same way as metal that had been sitting in the sun. There was almost an electric heat to him that Erin never before had the time to notice. Or, perhaps it was just her imagination combined with nerves.

Annabelle squealed happily as the weapons specialist lurched forward, leaving a trail of dust behind him. The child helped prevent any awkward silences as she filled the cabin with her happy chatter. Erin wasn't exactly good with kids, but she could still find a quaint amusement with Annabelle's excitement and energy. Ironhide seemed to participate the most in their conversation. Erin couldn't exactly follow what she was talking about. Something to do with how tall things are compared to certain autobots, mainly the weapons specialist himself, or Optimus Prime.

The three story house Ironhide took them to was surrounded by a short, wooden fence. Beside the building was a rather impressive garden, considering Diego Garcia mostly sported palm trees and other bland greenery. The middle rows obviously had various vegetables neatly planted, some looked ready for harvest. Surrounding the practical plants were a rainbow of flowers and flowering bushes. The bright yellows, blues, and soft purples added a quaint quality to the older building.

Sarah Lennox walked out of the house as the trio of humans exited Ironhide's vehicle form so the bot could transform. "Private Brook," the woman greeted the soldier with a welcoming hand, "I'm glad to see you again. Will you be staying for dinner?"

"Yes ma'am." Erin responded, giving the woman's hand a firm shake.

"Wonderful!" she beamed and turned to her husband, "It's about time you invited her." Erin seemed to be the topic of their conversation on more than a single occasion. Just what had Ironhide said about her? "Will," she addressed the Captain, "let's eat outside today, it's finally cool enough." She turned back towards Erin. "Could you be a dear and help set the table? Dinner is just about ready."

"Yes, ma'am." Erin answered curtly.

The scene was oddly comfortable. Captain Lennox and Erin set up four places on a glass table on the porch while Annabelle helped her mother carry roasted chicken with green beans and mashed potatoes. The couple each had a beer, and Erin politely declined one in favor of water. Ironhide sat on the earth a few yards away, energon in servo, still close enough to engage in conversation. Erin had never lived with her parents, but she imagined this was what a family dinner was supposed to be like, minus the twenty two foot metal 'uncle'. Whilst they set up, the Captain explained how Team Prime Unit One, him included, along with Jazz would be going in search of the missing soldiers and autobot who disappeared days before. The search parties initially sent had recovered evidence of a struggle, but nothing definitive. Much to his daughter's disappointment, he'd be taking off the next morning to pick up the investigation.

Once they were seated, however, there seemed to be an unspoken rule not to discuss anything involving the decepticon autobot conflict or any other military minutia. The dark topic of missing soldiers was momentarily left in favor of lighter conversation. First and foremost, was the presence of salt in the food. Mrs. Lennox was amused by Erin's nearly ecstatic reaction. Lennox took the opportunity to explain how salt was actually banned on the base proper, which would explain why all the hot meals were so flavorless. Ironhide said it was Ratchet's order. Apparently, salt can be a part of Cybertronian diets. Only, while a small amount helps energy conversion and was like junk food, larger amounts cause a buildup and crystallization in a 'bot's veins between various mainframe systems- whatever that means. As a result, Ratchet banned all pure forms of salt. Luckily, Mrs. Lennox was spared from this ban, mostly because the medic couldn't boss the small woman around.

As interesting as salt-addictions were to Erin, Mrs. Lennox soon regaled Erin with the stories of her first encounters with each of the 'bots, with some added comment from Ironhide.

The black mech was the first one they met. He had brought Lennox home after the battle in Mission City and became their guardian. Mrs. Lennox admitted she was terrified at first, but learned to trust him. Annabelle was just a baby at the time so she basically grew up with the mech as a part of her family.

Second was Ratchet, who tracked Ironhide down after he avoided a medical checkup. Apparently, this was before the Lennox's move to Diego Garcia and the rest of the 'bots were staying on a small military base in Nevada. Ratchet came onto the property, uninvited at that, scanned Mrs. Lennox with no introduction, and practically scared the soul out of the poor woman. After Ironhide introduced the two, the woman apparently chastised the medic for his rudeness. She educated him on proper decorum… for over an hour. Ironhide seemed proud that she had put the old medic in his place. Erin, having experienced one of the mech's lectures the day prior, thought he had gotten his just deserts.

Optimus Prime was introduced third. He went to the property, with permission, for a friendly visit, wanting to meet the Lennox family. Erin herself had only spoken with the mech a handful of times. Most recently when she was inducted into Team Prime. After Sideswipe kidnapped her from the rec room, he stopped by Prime's office at the latter's behest. There, he spoke of the mission behind Team Prime, basically, elite N.E.S.T missions and explained why he wished to welcome her onto the fold. His explanation was long but insightful. Erin was able to sum that the twins were out of control and Sideswipe seemed to be willing to behave for Erin's sake, so the Prime wanted to see whether she could 'tame' them. Of course those weren't his exact words. From the meeting that night, Erin surmised the 'bot was like a gentle warrior, forced to fight but never losing sight of his goals of peace. That was something that Erin, admittingly, lacked.

Jazz was the next 'bot Mrs. Lennox met. He was also to next to learn just how tough the woman was. The easy going mech was practically put in time-out after cussing near Annabelle who was in the stage of repeating every word she heard. By the time Jazz had gotten to know the woman, she had become the main source of human knowledge for the 'bots, who before depended too heavily on the internet. That was also the start of the odd questions she often received, including, 'Why do humans self-harm when excited? (Clapping)', 'How are human sparklings manufactured?', and 'Why do male humans' interfacing equipment just hang out?'.

Bumblebee became a frequent visitor as he would travel with Michaela Barnes and Sam Witwickey virtually everywhere, including when they babysat Annabelle when she needed help obtaining food or changing diapers, things Ironhide could not do. The scout, whom Erin had yet to meet, adored Annabelle and watched her with fascination. Ironhide showed a video through some kind of holographic projection, he secretly took of the yellow 'bot playing peek-a-boo with the little girl.

The Lennox's moved to Diego Garcia before the other 'bots arrived nearly two years ago. Arcee and Mrs. Lennox got along well and the two-wheeler would become a consistent visitor. A slight sadness hung in the air as the family considered Arcee's disappearance. However, the unspoken rule pulled them away from the dark turn.

Wheeljack crashed on the island with his ship, The Jackhammer. The mech was not as sociable as the other 'bots. He got an audioful after calling Mrs. Lennox 'the Captain's femme'. Apparently, he never made that mistake again.

The girls both met Prowl when he accompanied Jazz for a visit. The mech had just landed on earth and had no idea how to react to the humans yet, so he was silent and observed whatever he could. Cold and calculated, that sounded right to Erin. It was odd how he seemed to be the polar opposite of Jazz, yet she almost always saw the two mechs together.

Mirage and Que arrived in quick succession. The former truly learned of Mrs. Lennox's reputation after he was criticized for ignoring her polite introduction. Ever the high caste gentlebot, he apologized and practically avoided the oddly terrifying organic ever since then. Erin could see a particular pattern with Mrs. Lennox's interactions with the 'bots. She could understand where their confusion was coming from. Ironhide had explained how, in their culture, femmes were considered the fiercest of their species, although they tended to be outnumbered ten to one by mechs. However, when the 'bots first land on earth, their main introduction to the human race is through their internet, which does not have a great track record for respecting women. Luckily, Mrs. Lennox was fully willing to set the record straight.

Que, unlike Mirage, was extremely friendly and asked constant questions. Most of which were about how to get along with humans. Apparently, the mech was excited to be friends with the local organics on earth. He would visit whenever a group of soldiers would come over for a beer and some peace. Then, the mech would regale them with stories of his most disastrous experiments, much to the amusement of the humans, and would listen intently as the soldiers told them about what a human's home life is like. Apparently, the mech's greatest wish was to experience a drive-in theater of all things. It was oddly endearing, listening to Mrs. Lennox describe Que like she would talk about a lively grandfather.

The twins were the most recent arrivals. Sideswipe was completely fascinated by Annabelle, but wouldn't get too close with Ironhide watching like a hawk. Sunstreaker was, expectedly, rude. The mech refused to speak with the 'femme meat-sac'. Before Mrs. Lennox could say anything, Ironhide stepped in. The two threw servos while Prowl escorted the girls to safety. That was also around the time the brig was installed.

"By the way, Ironhide," Erin addressed the mech, "what happened with Sunstreaker last night? Sideswipe said something about a fight."

"The mech needed to learn some respect, that's all." He huffed.

"If I remember correctly," Lenox interjected, "You only got one hit in. Way to show him who's boss." The man laughed at his friend's expense.

"Well I would have beaten the-uh" a quick glance between the Lennox girls occupied the 'bot's pause, "I would have done a better job, had Prowl and Jazz not intervened." Erin had an idea over what, or whom, the mechs had argued over. The way Ironhide seemed to check her over that morning for injuries had been a reasonable hint. The mech leaned in towards her, "Just let me know if he _acts up_ in anyway, 'k?"

Erin nodded, "Yes, sir."

He faced to the side and muttered something in cybertronian. The electric whirring sounded dark and threatening.

Annabelle perked up and pointed a tiny finger at the mech. "Mom, Iwonhide said a bad word!"

"Did he _really_?" Mrs. Lennox smiled smugly at the mech, one hand brushing the snitch's hair. " _Ironhide_ ," she sung, "we talked about this."

The 'bot cats a betrayed glare down at the child.

Erin turned towards Captain Lennox who was snickering with a hand slapped over his mouth. "She can understand him?"

Ironhide answered for the man, who was busy with his giggling fit. "She has reasonable comprehension. The sparkling picked most of it up on her own." He seemed to welcome the distraction in conversation. "But I've started teaching her reading and writing as well. Unfortunately, she is incapable of speaking it."

"Is anyone on base learning Cybertronian?"

"No," Lennox answered, swallowing down the last bits of laughter, "Annabelle already knew quite a bit before we even realized, I guess it was from the exposure at a young age. It's a complicated language and with the 'bots being fluent in English, no one ever saw the point."

"In my experience, language creates mutual understanding. Expecting one side to handle full comprehension of the other, without sharing the burden, puts a strain on alliances." Erin reasoned.

He smiled back at her, "Jazz told me you spoke in Italian with Mirage, really caught him off guard and nearly shut him up. Are you really fluent?"

Erin nodded.

"Prowl said you speak multiple languages." Ironhide added.

"Well, aside from English and Italian, Mandarin, Spanish, Russian, French, Korean, and American Sign Language. I'm only partially fluent in Hindi, Arabic, Portuguese, Bengali, and Swahili."

"Seriously?" Lennox coughed after a tense pause. "How can you know so many?"

"Eight languages were spoken in the home I grew up in. Mastering each language is easier than the one before it. I only started learning Bengali two years ago but, amar maney hoy ami etter upar ecta handel peyechi।*."

Annabelle squeaked with laughter at her accent and the adults gushed over her. Ironhide just had a smug 'I was right all along' smile.

Mrs. Lennox was an impressive storyteller. Erin felt as if she knew each of the 'bots a bit better after the dinner. Something she didn't even know she would be interested in. Given her situation, though, it would be best if she at least tried to better understand them.

Erin helped clear the dishes and cleaned crumbs off the table. The Captain remained in the house to wash dishes while Ironhide entertained Annabelle in the lawn. The scene was so domestic, yet so odd. Erin could hardly believe it. Yet, she had experienced some odd things in her time since arriving on Diego Garcia. Earlier that week, she thought hearing Mirage condescendingly explain the intricacies of Cyber Fox hunting for two hours, in Italian of course, would be the weirdest thing she'd experienced. At least the Lennox's were far more entertaining. Honestly, had Jazz not distracted Mirage, she probably would have been forced to endure a few more hours. She didn't know what Jazz had said to the red 'bot, but from the look the saboteur gave her as she made her escape, it wasn't the reason for his interruption.

"Ironhide," Sarah Lennox appeared from around the corner of the house, carrying a black box in one arm and dragging a hose behind her, "How does a wash sound?"

The mech rumbled, "That would be greatly appreciated." He transformed into his top kick form as Annabelle happily squealed, 'bath time!', most likely to the embarrassment of the black mech.

It was one thing to wash a car, even a sentient one, but when that car was one's commanding officer, that was just weird.

Mrs. Lennox must have caught the bewildered look on Erin's face because she laughed as she started spraying the vehicle with the hose. Annabelle giggled and ran out of range. "I know it must seem strange to you, but bathing is a social thing for cybertronian."

"At least it was before the war." Ironhide added, a hint of sentimentality in his gravelly voice.

"Besides," the woman added, "humans are better at getting the hard to reach places."

The truck lowered on its tires, "And she's the best at it." Ironhide murmured, earning another shocked look from the soldier.

"Do you… uh" Erin tried to articulate a question, but it felt awkward in her mouth, "bathe the other 'bots as well?"

"A few," Mrs. Lennox hummed, "mostly Ironhide, though. But Jazz and Que come over often. Prowl sometimes joins Jazz."

So not the twins, Mirage, Wheeljack, or Prime. Erin suspected Arcee was on her list of visitors, by the way the woman paused mid-sentence. The rest was expected for Erin. She couldn't imagine them getting a wash from the human, social norm or not. Jazz probably had to coerce Prowl.

"Would you like to help?" the woman asked.

Erin considered the action. Giving her commanding officer a bath certainly was not how she thought she'd be spending the evening. But, if she was going to learn how to live with the 'bots, she might as well understand their social interactions. She nodded cautiously.

Mrs. Lennox smiled brightly, "Come, honey, I'll show you how it's done."

Erin received an in depth lesson on the art of washing a cybertronian. Apparently, it was more than just water, soap, water. She had to learn how to apply the soapy sponge, where to avoid and where to focus on, and even what soap to use on different parts of the frame. The woman had eight varieties! Annabelle also chipped in by scrubbing the rims. Erin felt awkward, but that feeling did not seem to transfer to the 'bot or woman with her. She just hoped she would be able to look Ironhide in the optic the next day. Overall, it was an interesting experience to say the least.

 **Translation:**

 *** I think I've gotten a handle on it.**

 **I know that many languages seems off, but I do know a girl who speaks six fluently!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello,**

 **I just wanted to say thank you for reading this far, and thanks especially to Cinematronix and Edges05 for reviewing!**

Chapter 12

Mission report.

Data gathering in progress.

Files included:

File A: Information of Cybertronian history.

Note: Transferred from Cybertronian data pad.

Analysis of Autobot team. Wheeljack

Wrecker- Autobot Black Ops. Twenty three feet tall. White with red and green trim. Lancia Stratos vehicle form. Combat ability: highly skilled. Known weapons: dual swords, energon cannon formed from each hand- number of shots depends on energon in system, carries one energon grenade at a time. Manipulation: highly unlikely. Part of Team Prime, teamed with Mirage. Recommendation: avoid in conflict.

Analysis of Autobot team. Mirage

Infiltrator. Nineteen feet tall. Red. Ferrari 458 Italia vehicle form. Combat ability: average. Known weapons: wrist blades- can eject on length of cable, detachable pistol- number of shots depends on energon in weapon, weapons used for defense. Special ability: cloaking device which renders him invisible. Manipulation: plausible, unsatisfied with status on earth, socially distant from teammates. Recommendation: possible alliance.

* * *

Prowl sat in his office, closely analyzing the data before him. Since Ms. Brook received her data pad, he had been closely monitoring her usage of it. A device with such communication and research capabilities would be plentiful bait for a spy. Thus far, nothing of note had been done with the pad. The femme had explored it and its settings for a couple of days, and took advantage of some of the data provided, no doubt reading up on Cybertronians. However, there had been no attempts of hacking or outside communication through the data pad. While it did not clear Ms. Brook, it also didn't prove she was the spy Prowl was in search for. He sincerely hoped his suspicions over the femme were unjustified. She was a good soldier, and her apparent ability to work with the twins was certainly helpful. She was just too skilled for her own good. A private, first class or not, should not have such talent. Then there was the block on her personal history, as well as previous military experience.

All Prowl knew was that she grew up in a group home in Oregon. When she was fifteen, she joined a JROTC unit, then an ROTC unit. She was given high marks in both. At the age of eighteen, she joined some kind of nameless combat-based program. Three years later, she was recruited by a military organization as a Private. Her service record during that time was sealed. At the age of twenty two, she was recruited by Colonel Bishop to join NEST as a Private First Class.

There was not much to go on, which only aroused his suspicions. The data pad did nothing to fix this, despite his hopes it would. Nevertheless, her activity on it at least provided some interesting relief to his daily activities. Especially the drawings she saved to the pa.

They were little comics with simple lines, without coloring. One might not even know which 'bots she was portraying, but the little speech bubbles spelled it out clearly. One image was of Jazz dancing to something and Prowl in the background looking embarrassed.

A slight quirk of his faceplates was his only sign of amusement. It seemed the autobots had made an impression on her. Usually, soldiers either feared and avoided the 'bots, or acknowledged them to be something like living weapons, dependable, but not 'people'. Only a few soldiers really recognized them in the same way the 'bots saw the humans, as sentient creatures. Private Brook never openly portrayed this, she actually acted rather cold and calculating towards them, much like how Jazz claimed Prowl acts. These images provided a hidden viewpoint into her outlooks. Also, since her first sketch a week ago, the SIC has been secretly looking forward to see whatever she came up with for that day. He needed amusement as well. Not that he would admit it to anyone.

He continued to scan through the pictures, not only enjoying them, but checking for traces of any hidden message. The second had Ironhide holding a man upside down. The soldier's speech bubble read, "Ok! I take it back! There is nothing unmechly about babysitting a little girl… even if she made you wear a tiara that one time." While Prowl did not appreciate the thought of the autobot attacking a human over such details, he sincerely wished the situation the cartoon described was real. And there was an image to prove it. It never hurt to have some kind of blackmail over the weapons specialist.

The most recent panel had Sunstreaker, one pede off the ground, seeming to shriek in horror at Private Brook as if she was an insect on the ground. The cartoon femme looked rather unamused. The front liner's speech bubble said, "It's moving! So gross! Kill it, kill it, kill it!"

The femme seemed oddly amused by Sunstreaker's distain for humans. Prowl was not sure whether that would help or hinder her. He wished it was the former.

A signal announced the presence of another mech outside his office. :Come in.: he commed the silver mech. Jazz sauntered in and went straight for the chair, leaning back in it and raising his pedes to rest on the desk with a loud "clunk!".

"How are you doing today, Jazz." He greeted politely.

The saboteur grinned back, "You know how it goes, Prowler, I'm just about good all the time."

"How goes the investigation?" he asked, cutting to the chase.

Jazz sighed, intakes sounding stressed from the day's heat. "Nothin' on the femme. She's either clean or got it tight. Perhaps ya should get Sides on some snoopin' online. 'Cause she's got her act in shape."

"You sound convinced she is the culprit." Prowl raised an optic ridge and leaned forward.

The mech raised his servos in exasperation, "She's just too clean ta have a sealed record like that! I've been following her about every day now and she has too much skill for a Private. I don't like it." Jazz was the best experts when it came to espionage, it was one of the reasons why he was still alive this far into the war, Prowl trusted his judgement second to only Optimus Prime.

"Her data pad usage has not showed any definitive results. And I hesitate to bring in Sideswipe. He may be biased." Prowl closed his optics in contemplation.

"But he's the best we've got." Jazz reasoned, "If anyone could dig something up, it's him."

Prowl thought for a moment. While the mech was a skilled hacker, he was too close to Ms. Brook. "Continue following her, for now. I will consider adding Sideswipe to the investigation."

"Your consideration is all I ask for, Prowler." He sighed.

"What about our other leads?" The SIC continued.

"Most of them are busts. As you've no doubt found in your investigations. That Sixt fellow, however, is promising." Jazz answered.

"How so?" Prowl Prompted.

"He acts too casually too publicly, like he knows he's bein' tailed." Jazz crossed his arms.

"Do you think he's made you?" Prowl asked, concerned. He hadn't found any evidence of another transmission, but there could have been one that he didn't expose. Francis Sixt was perhaps the most promising computer engineer they'd recruited in a while. The algorithms he created were the most efficient in finding data relating to the autobots and wiping it from the internet. Considering how long he had been operating at N.E.S.T, he would be a dangerous enemy.

"Naw, you know I work better than that." Jazz reassured him. "But the activity is suspicious. He seems to expect someone ta be followin' him. Also, there's the matter of Alsace."

"Right." Prowl was deeply worried about that. Team Prime 1 and Jazz had already gone and returned from France, after searching for Arcee and the humans she traveled with. They found evidence of a battle, and a small piece of armor, identified as Arcee's was discovered. The remains of six humans were also found. Seven had gone on the mission. After a fruitless search for the potential survivor, the team returned, with dim hopes of seeing their comrades again. The remains were incinerated, and not even dental records could be used to identify them. All evidence pointed towards the decepticons. Mr. Sixt had, apparently, aided in searching French and German social media for evidence of any encounter, which he would be meant to report, then scrub. According to him, he found nothing. The problem was, that was not his specified assignment. With his apparent hacking skills, he would also be able to hide any evidence that he had found or removed anything damning in his searches.

Prowl was quickly learning to recognize humanity's full potential. Something which he painfully disregarded until then.

* * *

Two weeks had passed since Erin joined up with Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. An odd rhythm had formed between the human and mechs. They would start their days separately. The twins did whatever duties they were assigned, mostly patrols and monitor duty. Erin trained with the other recruits and at the end of each session, she would stick back for one on one with Ironhide. Sometimes, Annabelle would join as well, as a starstruck spectator. Erin was like a superhero to her. The girl would squeal when she saw Erin and beg her to do some kind of cool trick. Apparently her years of combat training boiled down to entertaining 'tricks'. After nearly getting squished by a grumpy black 'bot, she'd have a late lunch with Franky and Adam. Usually, Sideswipe would wait outside of the mess hall for her. At first, this concerned some of the men. As they came into the mess hall, they would track Erin down and ask what he was doing there. Sideswipe did not seem to mind their stares and he would nod kindly to anyone who greeted him. When she would finally emerge, she would immediately decline his offer to drive her to the training grounds. They would then walk together to meet up with Sunstreaker.

On the way, Sideswipe would chat about whatever popped up in that mind of his. The weather, video games, apparently he had a love of comic books. Even though he could read them online- and even hack into secured websites to get to them- he still had a few paperback editions that he kept for some reason. It was an oddly human act that Erin found to be comforting. Sometimes the way he acted made her almost forget he was an alien who'd lived many of her lifetimes already. He'd even lent her some of his comics so she could keep up with the conversation. For some reason, she decided to go ahead and read them. Sideswipe's personality was contagious to her. She eventually found herself unwittingly enjoying his endless banter.

Once they arrived at the training grounds, Sunstreaker would scoff or grunt at her. She'd then nearly get squished by a grumpy yellow 'bot until all three were satisfied with the day's training. Erin would then either get kidnapped by Sideswipe or escape to the mess hall, where she'd spend the majority of the night with her human companions. When with Sideswipe, he'd always offer her some food he somehow procured. His first couple attempts at providing nourishment were rather unsuccessful. A raw potato and a jug of cooking oil did not suffice. Eventually, he got it right, providing fresh sandwiches and salads. Of course, the sandwiches became vegan after she explained what ham and bacon were. She never knew how he got the things he did, such as comic books or other odds and ends that seemed weird in the hands of a Cybertronian or on a military base. That was especially true for his pranking stash. He'd proudly shown off his collection and even told her about some of his future plans, after making her swear she would not snitch. He kept all of it, about a pallet's worth, in a single compartment in his abdomen. She had to ask how he could fit it all.

"Sideswipe."

Said 'bot looked down to give Erin his full attention. They were heading to the training grounds, it was going to be the first time in two weeks they were to fight a new opponent, although Ironhide did not reveal who it would be.

"How do you store all that stuff you keep on you?"

He quirked his brow, or optic ridge as Erin learned it was called. "Why would you want to know that?"

"Curious." Erin shrugged.

"Well, I keep it in my subspace. It is a personal sub-dimensional storage area. Most-bots have at least one. Some-bots can store a lot." He explained

"How much is 'a lot'?"

"Well, Ratchet could probably shove an entire mech in one of his."

Well that info nearly melted her brain. So they could store things that easily? Her mind worked as she tried to comprehend the physics of such an action. Then, another thought came to her. "Can you do other things with this subspace? Like do it to parts of yourself?"

Sideswipe's grin grew. "So you noticed, huh?"

She quirked her lips. "That your bipedal mode doesn't quite match with your alt? Yes, I noticed."

He held up two of his four fingers, "There are a couple of different versions of micro subspacing. One is where you partially subspace yourself to make you seem smaller, however since it is an incomplete subspace, weight still applies, unlike a regular subspace." He dropped one finger. "The second is an external subspace where a 'bot brings part of his own subspace out to stretch his frame. Different Cybertronians have different subspacing abilities." He dropped his hand.

"So an internal subspace is how you get down to the size appropriate for a corvette?"

"Yes, Sunny and I are pretty good at internal subspacing, though, our alt-forms are about as far as we can go."

"And what does external subspacing look like?"

"Well, we do it all the time. It's how we get our frames stretched enough to form things that look like glass or for seats and seatbelts. You've noticed how comfortable I am to ride, right? Hmm?" he waggled his optic ridges.

"Uh, well…"

"That's about as far as most 'bots can go." He continued without missing a beat. "But, I've heard that a couple of 'bots throughout history were so skilled with external subspacing, they could create a black hole."

Now that was a terrifying thought.

"You ask a lot of questions about us." His tone seemed more observational that offended.

Erin believe that over the past couple of weeks, she'd gotten a pretty good read on the twins. Sideswipe was, by far, the least aloof. "I've told you before that if it's too personal, you could just say so."

"It's not, I don't mind." Sideswipe stated.

She explained "I know next to nothing about your kind. Meanwhile, you can just look up anything about humans on the internet."

"I see your point." He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. Erin had learned that such a gesture was one of several that the 'bots adopted while on earth. They really were adaptive.

Erin and Sideswipe were coming up to the field where Sunstreaker was waiting. He stood near the edge of the open space, as far as possible from the other occupants, a group of several humans and Ironhide. Erin instantly recognized the line up as the other human members of Team Prime and Prowl. Sunstreaker greeted Sideswipe with a nod and gave Erin his trademark sneer.

"You sure took your time getting here." Ironhide rumbled.

"'Hide," Captain Lennox piped in, shaking his head, "they're fifteen minutes early."

Captain Lennox was one of the few who could speak frankly to Ironhide without getting a cannon shoved in his face. Erin knew that both had respect for each other and seemed like close friends. On one occasion, when Annabelle was watching Erin and Ironhide train, Lennox showed up to get his daughter back home. The girl watched in amazement as Erin dodged each of Ironhide's attacks. Although the child viewed the soldier as a superhero, Ironhide was her hero. So when Erin sliced at the 'bot's outstretched hand, making one finger go limp, Annabelle stood up and defiantly yelled, "No! Erwin no hurt 'Hide!" Caught off guard by the child's outburst, Erin was not ready for the sweeping hand that knocked her face first into the dry dirt. All the mech needed was a single finger to pin her to the ground. She smelled the chemicals from the hundreds of paintballs Ironhide had shot, permeating through the soil. Annabelle ran up to the pair and chucked a bean bag, left over from Ironhide's earliest assault, straight into Erin's cheek. She stared, annoyed at the girl.

Ironhide barked a laugh, "Looks like you win Annabelle."

The girl looked pleased with the 'bot's praise.

"Anna!" A voice called from where the girl once sat. Captain Lennox stood there, brow raised at the odd display before him. "It's time to go."'

"Ok, daddy." She scampered off to join her father.

"Ironhide." Erin struggled to breathe out. "Too much… pressure."

"Oh." Immediately, Ironhide released Erin and gave her space to stand. "Sorry Erin." At some point, Private Brook had changed into Erin, not that she minded.

She did not think she'd ever get fully comfortable around a being that could pin her with a single finger, but if she were to, it would be Ironhide. For an alien, he and Erin got along rather well. Of course, that was nothing compared to his bond with the Lennox family.

On the edge of her hearing, she caught Lennox whisper to Annabelle, "Don't forget to thank Uncle 'Hide for watching you." The child's jovial response was lost on Erin.

'Uncle 'Hide'. Ironhide was like a brother to him. They were not even the same species.

Somehow, they had formed a bond. These beings were incredibly strong, but Erin could see Ironhide's respect for Captain Lennox. He even treated Mrs. Lennox with a hint of fear. On occasion, he would mention how Annabelle needed to get back to her mother. He always seemed to shudder a bit at the thought of angering the small woman. Their chemistry was odd, to Erin at least, but somehow they made it work.

Snapping back to the present, Erin asked "Am I to assume that we'll be practicing alongside the official members of Team Prime?" ' _Business as usual, don't show that you're distracted'_ She thought.

"Not quite." Prowl interjected. "You will be the offenders today."

"Hate to break it to you, Prowl." Sunstreaker retorted, "But the squishy would make a pretty terrible 'con." His lip plates twitched slightly in a sadistic smirk, hoping Erin would be moved to the defending side.

"Actually… you won't be playing a 'con in this scenario, Sunstreaker. You are a bit too… realistic. So you will be working with the humans." Prowl replied, unfazed by Sunstreaker's snarl.

"What." H said. It was not a question. It was a statement, 'Please repeat that so I can take those words and shove them down you vocalizer'.

Sideswipe laughed, "Sunny's working with them? That might be just as dangerous as him working against the squishies." It was no secret that Erin was, in fact, the first and only human Sunstreaker had trained with directly. Sure, they had drills in conjunction with human teams, but it required minimal contact. "Why is Rin a 'con? I thought the humans had separate training for squishy on squishy combat."

"We must be prepared for any variable, thus this exercise."

That caught Erin. "You think a decepticon would work with humans?" She did not have much personal experience with the 'cons, but from what she'd heard, they absolutely hated all things organic.

"That… is always a possibility." Prowl supplied.

"Alright you half-clocks, get a move on!" Ironhide's order snapped Erin back. Her exterior remained calm and collected, while she frantically broke down the situation in her head.

A string of masculine 'yes sir's' followed Ironhide's command. Sunstreaker merely growled. He did that a lot.

* * *

Sunstreaker was agitated. It was not his usual dark demeanor. This was an internal battle. One in which he had no fragging clue how he was supposed to think or feel. He was sitting on a couch in the rec room. Next to him was Sideswipe. Normally, he had nearly all of his twin's attention. It was a result of having only each other to depend on after losing their creators at such a young age. However, on occasion, Sideswipe would grant his attention to another 'bot or even a human for a few moments, but he would always have his optics back in Sunstreaker. This situation in particular, was not the same case.

Sideswipe was turned away from his twin, half facing the projection screen where his avatar in Super Smash Bros was beating down a ghost avatar which belonged to a certain human femme. Said fleshy was the one whom had all of Sunstreaker's twin's attention. Sideswipe barely needed to glance at the screen to be winning against the squishy. She was, in a word, terrible. Even after two weeks of intensive video game training, she still had not won a single match without Sideswipe telling her exactly how to beat him.

Even the entertainment of watching her fail had worn off for Sunstreaker. Sideswipe had offered to give him a turn, against the opponent of his choice, but he had refused. There was something wrong about the whole scene.

When Sunstreaker grumble to himself about it, Sideswipe sent his amusement over the bond.

"What was that fragger?" Sunstreaker shot a death glare at his twin, ignoring the squishy's startled expression.

:Nothin', just that your jealousy is leaking all over the bond.:

"Shut it before I stuff that controller down your vocalizer!"

The squishy continued to look surprised at Sunstreaker. It was too late when he noticed half the conversation was occurring over the bond. Great. Now she thought he was crazy.

That confrontation was what led Sunstreaker to silently stare off, contemplating what he was really feeling, which was definitely not jealousy. Sideswipe waved off the squishy's confused questions and resumed their game after having taken the distraction as an opportunity to take her avatar's final life.

Sunstreaker knew he was not jealous. There was no way he could be envious of a human. What was there to be jealous about? Sideswipe? The mech was _his_ twin. They were split spark so Sideswipe would always be his. No squishy could change that. It's not like Sunstreaker was feeling anything unreasonable.

Even he admitted, to himself, that the squishy had some talent. She was athletic enough to dodge Cybertronian attacks and was a reasonably skilled sharp shooter.

During training earlier that day, she shot five of the twelve human soldiers without leaving her perch among some boulders, leaving the rest for Sideswipe. At one point, when Sunstreaker had his twin cornered, she was able to distract him with her carefully placed paint bullets so Sideswipe could escape. She then paired with Sideswipe to take on Sunstreaker in close combat, using a retrofitted ion cannon with a low level blast to hit his vital spots. It did not cause damage, as it was not meant to, but she could hit him without using paint. That, to her credit, showed some survival instincts.

If she was a Cybertronian, he might have even been accepting of her, but she wasn't. She was a squishy with a weak, meaty processor. She might have skill, but compared to a 'bot, she was weak. Sunstreaker was convinced that there was no point in even trying to get along with her since she would not survive long. That's just how things work. He was used to seeing 'bots fall in the line of duty, he never paid much heed to getting to know any of them. He had even less motivation for getting along with organics.

The only reason why he hung around the squishy was that Sideswipe was welded to her side, determined to do _team bonding_ via video games or mindless chatter.

Sunstreaker snorted to himself and took a swig of his energon ration.

"Does that stuff taste good?"

Sunstreaker looked down to curious metal-gray eyes. "What did you say, squishy?"

"Do you like drinking that stuff?" She pointed at the cube gripped in his servo.

Sideswipe seemed oddly joyed by her question. "You know Rin, that's the first time you've asked anything like that. You're always asking about the way we 'bots operate, I don't think you've ever inquired about things we actually liked." He added with a smirk, "Admit it, we're growing on you." It was true that Sunstreaker had overheard the squishy's clinical questions. The only time she engaged in casual conversation was when Sideswipe initiated and led it.

Her gaze became blank and she turned back to the game. "I was just curious."

"It tastes," Sunstreaker heard something a lot like his own voice, "alright. But, it's not as good as the stuff on Cybertron." He did not realize it was him answering, until the words left his vocalizer. Catching himself, he quickly added, "You could try some of mine if you'd like."

The squishy scoffed at this. "I know energon is poisonous to humans. Nice try, though."

Sunstreaker swirled the remaining contents. "Don't say I didn't offer."

In the peripheral of his optics, Sunstreaker caught Sideswipe's snicker. Fragger.

"You know."

Sunstreaker looked back over to see the squishy had set down her game controller and was looking up at him and Sides. "You can communicate easily, whether it is through your comms or that bond of yours."

"Yeah, so?" Sunstreaker questioned.

"The radio link I use an easily get hacked. Typically, among humans, hand signals can be used for close quarters communication."

That was another problem with having a human on the team. Their technology was basic at best. The radio headset that Erin had been using during training used a frequency any scout class Cybertronian could access with ease. An enemy could use that to cause miscommunications or block the frequency all together. Even if that did not happen, the squishy had to communicate out loud and any 'bot with decent audio receptors could hear.

Sunstreaker knew she was a liability! "So we need to work with your handicap, is that it?"

"Take it easy, Sunny." Sides tried to sooth. "Erin, it's alright, we can learn a couple of hand signals."

"Don't call me that!"

"Look," Sides gave him a pointed stare, "it's not like we're making a huge sacrifice, let's just go along with it." Since when was Sideswipe so diplomatic? It was annoying.

The problem was not that Sunstreaker could not learn a few hand signals, but the fact that he had to learn them proved his point. Nevertheless, the three of them spent the rest of the night hashing out unique signals to use. Well, the squishy made most of the decisions. Sunstreaker did not contribute and Sideswipe's suggestions were mostly shot down. A 'Spiderman web shooting' hand signal would just be too demeaning. What the squishy, who turned out to be fluent in American sign language, designed were specific, one small detail change would create a whole new meaning. Rather than record the new signs and dedicated them to his data drive, Sides decided to learn each one and commit them to his natural memory. Sunstreaker idly watched, neither recording or really memorizing either way. What did it matter anyway?


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello everyone. So this chapter was actually meant to be split, with the second half starting what will be chapter 14, but I decided to meld them together.**

 **I would like to thank rybakoi, Edges05, Cinematronix, Guest, and ladybug1995 for reviewing!**

 **There is a lot of different forms of communication here, so just to clear things up:**

 **"Normal conversation"**

 **:Bond talk:**

 **-Comm link-**

 _ **Sign Communication**_

 **The song used is Hurt by Johnny Cash. I honestly wasn't sure whether or not to give her singing parts, but I have two reasons for doing so. 1) the real-life person who is my muse for Erin is an amazing and successful singer and 2) it actually falls into the plot- _way_ into the future of the story.**

Chapter 13

Erin knew how to deal with tough situations. She knew how to deal with sharpshooters, interrogations, hand to hand combat, and she could even diffuse land minds. This, however, was not like any of those situations. She had no clue how to diffuse a giant, alien, time bomb.

She, Sideswipe, and Sunstreaker had advanced in their team skills more than anyone could have imagined. The twins and her played on each other's strengths. Sunstreaker was the literal strength of the group. Sideswipe had speed and his own level of cunning, he was also able to diffuse a cybertronian bomb. Erin was the strategist, not to brag, her intelligence helped change the twins' hit-it-'til-it-breaks strategy into one that would leave off three of them virtually unscathed. Of course, before teaming up with Erin, the twins still had extremely high battle success, but her quick thinking and analytical skills left them with fewer dings to bang out at the end of the day. This, of course, pleased a certain shiny yellow mech and a slightly less grumpy medic. Their team was not without its flaws. At least Sunstreaker had not squished Erin yet, and that was a win in her book.

Their predicament was to diffuse an energon bomb made by Wheeljack, the explosives expert of the autobots. Erin had almost no contact with the scar-faced mech, but he seemed to be a bit of a loner. Nevertheless, he was willing to give Erin a quick explanation of how his explosives work. All of it went over her head, but she recorded the information for later use.

The bomb they were meant to diffuse was powered by energon, but the explosion would be contained. Should the detonation occur, there would only be a healthy splattering of paint. That, of course, would piss off Sunstreaker. While the team of three had to diffuse the weapons, Mirage and Wheeljack were defending it- at a distance.

The pair of 'bots knew that Erin could not do anything with the bomb, so their attacks were focused on her teammates. Erin needed to distract one of them long enough to let the other 'bot through. While Sideswipe would be preferable, Sunstreaker could do the job if the twins communicated through their bond.

Sideswipe was held up by Wheeljack, both their twin swords slashing, creating large sparks upon contact. The silver mech was fast and his weapons could tolerate more abuse, but Wheeljack had skill and experience. The mostly white 'bot tended to stay on the defensive, keeping himself protected from the silver mech's relentless onslaught. However, if Sideswipe tried to get past him, the older mech would go on the hunt, pulling Sideswipe back into the duel of swords. It was unlikely Sideswipe would be able to get past Wheeljack without Sunstreaker's aid.

Said yellow mech was in a similar predicament. Mirage used his cloaking device to become invisible. Even his shadow disappeared. Sunstreaker was blindly swinging for his target. If he tried to make a move towards either the bomb or his brother, the invisible mech would strike, only hard enough to distract the mech. He would then turn on his heels and claw at the air behind him, shouting various insults in both cybertronian and English. Honestly, if Sunstreaker really wanted to get Mirage, he could. He'd be fast enough with a round of cannon fire. But without being able to see the mech, there was a chance he could accidentally hit a vital spot and kill the red 'bot. Being forced to hold back was not something the mech appreciated. Still, Sunstreaker was their best bet.

Erin ran to his aid, not that he would want her help. Once she was in his optic range, she showed him a flurry of hand signals.

 _I distract-Trick. Help Sideswipe-Switch. Go to bomb_

If Mirage thought Sunstreaker was going to help Sideswipe, it might put him off enough so that Sunstreaker could get a head start on the bomb while Erin held Mirage back. Wheeljack might even fall back a bit if he thought he was going to face each twin.

The yellow mech scowled. "I don't know what that fraggin' means!"

Of course he didn't. Why would Erin think he'd actually cared to memorize the hand signals they'd practiced? "Just… go to the bomb!" Erin yelled as she ran nearly under Sunstreaker's pedes, blade unsheathed.

A few feet to her left, she saw the slightest displacement of dust. Quickly, she pulled out her gun and fired a shot at what turned out to be a fist heading for Sunstreaker. The paint only splattered for a second before disappearing. That moment was enough to alert Sunstreaker of the oncoming danger so he could dodge. With a furious growl, he slammed the side of his fist against their invisible foe. A crash sounded and dust lifted up. It appeared that Sunstreaker had knocked the mech over.

"Go!" Erin urged.

"You think you can take him?" Sunstreaker scoffed disbelievingly as he slammed a pede down where Mirage should have been. Instead, he crashed it down into the ground.

"We don't have time to argue." She reasoned.

Sunstreaker gave Erin a stern look. She had known him long enough to get a feel for his moods. The soldier could see pride and reason swimming around through his facial expressions. His optics, which were solid blue, like lenses, showed nothing as usual. After a second, he silently turned away and sprinted towards the goal

Erin saw another movement of dust and lunged with her E-blade. She met with hard resistance, his armor, but at the last second, there was the slightest give. Hopefully, that would slow him down. Erin's eyes tracked the sparking and barely there dribble of blue fluid as it circled her. He was going to stay and fight.

The sparks and energon disappeared just like the paint did.

This was Erin's first time facing Mirage, but she had already collected data on him. He had the ability to turn invisible. On top of that, he was extremely quiet. He could also emit a light invisibility field outside of his body to hide foot prints. Erin could see the dust move because it had been kicked out of his range, signifying him moving quickly and attacking. He was not a fighting 'bot. His job was infiltration. He only had light weapons- for a cybertronian- to use for defense. However, they were loud and he could not shield the light emitted before firing so he was unlikely to use them. Besides, any 'bot would have no trouble taking down Erin in hand to hand if they got a single hit in. He was most likely going to do a physical attack, leaving him open for Erin to use her E-blade. A gun would do her little good in this situation since her weapon was only designed to work if a vital spot was hit, which would be nearly impossible given her situation. She could not depend on her sight, it was unlikely he'd kick up any dust near her. Mirage could just bend over and plant a finger on her to take her out, like Ironhide sometimes did. Her hearing was also practically useless.

She'd never fought an invisible opponent but she had fought in the dark before, creating a similar effect.

Erin closed her eyes and centered herself. Her tactical senses became the focus of her thoughts. Mirage's cloaking device had to emit some kind of 'wave'. She felt the hairs on her arms prickle. It was faint, but past the wind and thundering of the other two titans battling, Erin could notice two distinctive movements in the air. One was quick like a strobe light, the other was slightly slower. It blinked on and off at the same rate it took for Mirage's energon to disappear from sight. All Erin had to do was find their collective center, strike at the point where her instincts scream for her to avoid.

The signal strengthened. Left. Shoulder. Fast!

Erin dropped to one knee, ducking the invisible arm and swung her blade up. At first, she only hit thick armor, but she had a new advantage. The vibration in the blade painted a picture of her enemy's position. In the blackness she encased herself in, Erin could feel up Mirage's arm. A quick twist of her blade let her slide it into a portion of his elbow, slicing the joint. The offending limb recoiled as Erin pulled her blade out.

"Frag! Merda!" a now visible Mirage screamed out. His glossy red armor was like a massive target.

Without missing a beat, Erin reintroduced her knife to the portion of his ankle she first attacked. The energon was free flowing as he took two massive steps back. This was another one of Erin's weaknesses. If the enemy avoided her, she would be too slow to reach them. Mirage seemed to take this act into consideration as he folded down into a shiny Ferrari and bolted towards Sunstreaker.

"Sunstreaker!" Erin called over her short distance radio, "He's coming to you."

"Nice job distracting him!" came the sarcastic retort.

Erin booked it towards the bomb that Sunstreaker had begun working on. He had torn off and chucked a side panel and was picking through a series of black wires. Erin ran past the tossed aside panel just as the Ferrari unfolded and Mirage hurdled towards Sunstreaker. Without missing a beat, the yellow mech turned and grabbed the infiltrator, slamming him to the ground. The red mech then rolled forwards and toppled over the explosive. An odd sound emanated from it as Sunstreaker bent back over it frantically.

The sounds of Sideswipe and Wheeljack's fighting ceased. "Sunstreaker," his twin called, "you dislodged the energon fuel lodge!" The two sideline mechs transformed and cleared away as well as Mirage. Sunstreaker cursed and changed into his alt-mode, peeling towards Erin.

For a moment, she thought he was going to get her clear of the area. That was a very brief moment. Then she realized that, although he was speeding towards her, he was not going to stop. Erin jumped out of the 'bot's way as he made it towards a safe distance.

He left her. Could she outrun the blast? Probably not. It was just paint, but still… She sprinted back the way she came. The panel Sunstreaker had chucked caught her sight. It was about the same size as she was. Desperately, she grabbed it. It was heavy, but she could still carry it. She pulled it against a boulder and wedged herself between the two objects. Not a second later, and incredible force beat against her metal shelter, she felt crushed against the rock. Her body did not have enough time to process the pressure she was crushed under. Her shoulder scraped mercilessly against the rough boulder. A wave of heat nipped at her skin, accompanied by nearly blinding light. As soon as it started, the chaos ended.

Erin collapsed, half under the leaning metal panel. Her whole body hurt. Her face felt sticky as she laid in some off-pink substance. Paint.

"Was that much energon really necessary for a paint splatter?" Erin could hear Sideswipe chuckle. She grit her teeth, wanting to take that jovial sound and stuff it down his throat.

"What? You scared of a little boom?" Wheeljack's cocky voice spit back.

"What if Erin had been in the blast radius? It could have hurt her. Where is she anyway?"

Erin was not in the mood to call out to the silver mech. She tried to mentally gather herself. She felt each injury, most of which were superficial. Her left shoulder would probably be black and blue for a few weeks. Bruising was already starting to form along her side where the panel hit her. She also had a pretty bad scrape on her right shoulder where she rubbed against the stone. Rubbed, meaning tearing her uniform and skin away, exposing red flesh as warm blood oozed down her arm and back. The injury must have been five inches long. Overall, the wounds were not life threatening, but still hurt like hell.

Erin was pulled back into the 'bot's conversation when Sideswipe shouted, "What do you mean? You left her!"

Sunstreaker was quick to retort, "It's her own fault her being so slow! Besides how was I supposed to know scar-face over here added an extra charge?"

"This is a battle simulation," Wheeljack growled, no doubt seething over Sunstreaker's quip, "Even if the thing was not rigged to go off, you should have helped your teammate out."

"This coming from the mech who can barely work with his own partner!"

"I may be a mech of solitude, but I would never leave a 'bot behind."

"In case you haven't noticed, the squishy is not a 'bot!"

"The point still stands. You're stuck with her, so deal with it."

The pair continued to argue from a distance as Erin pulled herself onto her knees. The rattling in her bones had subsided, leaving her with a sharp ache.

"Rin!"

Erin looked up to see a relived looking Sideswipe kneeling over her. Well, at least he looked for her. The mech didn't seemed concerned with the paint covering his planted knee or wheeled pedes, the only parts of him tainted by the pink substance.

"Are you ok?" he asked, surveying her form and the superficial shelter she used. "The blast wasn't supposed to be that strong." His optics landed on the blood pooling down her arm. "Oh, Rin. You're hurt." He suddenly went from a twenty foot alien to a mother hen. He kept a worried hand hovering over her, but not touching. "Let me take you to Hatchet."

"I'm fine," Erin tried to wave him off, not quite comfortable with the term he used for the autobot medic, "and no offense to the doc 'bot, but I think I'll go to the human med bay." Erin had, admittingly, adopted one of Ratchet's nicknames.

"He'll want to see you anyway, so you might as well go there to begin with." Not taking no for an answer, Sideswipe transformed into his alt-mode and opened his driver's side door for her. The move caused a small spray of paint to flick against her hair, and up his doors and the sides of his tires.

"I can walk." she replied shortly.

Sideswipe only revved his engine and held the door open. This caught the attention of the other mechs who's optics all darted to Erin. Not wanting to be any further involved in their argument, and feeling exhausted, Erin relented and stepped into Sideswipe's alt-mode; He automatically adjusted the seat, making her more comfortable. What a gentlemech. She resigned herself to being ferried to the autobot med bay.

She was not having a good day.

* * *

The injuries truly were superficial, not worth the autobot medic's time. That, however, did not stop Ratchet from lecturing both Sideswipe and Erin on how fragile humans were. As if Erin was not already painfully aware of that. Poor Sideswipe got a couple of dents from Ratchet's wrench whenever he made a cheeky comment.

While under the medic's care, Erin internally admitted that, for someone so large, Ratchet was skilled with precision work. The scrape on her shoulder was embedded with pebbles and dust. Ratchet somehow changed one of his hands into a set of large tweezers with a minuscule tip, almost like two needles. The other hand became a hose-like device that let out a dribble of water to wash away the dust and blood as Ratchet carefully picked away the larger particulates.

The wound did not truly start to hurt until after it was clean. With what seemed to be dark amusement, Ratchet sanitized the injury, causing Erin to let out a string of profanities, much to Sideswipe's amusement. That was where his second dent came from.

When all was said and done, Erin was bandaged up and icing her sore and bruised body. Sideswipe stayed beside her through it all. She had told him several times that he did not need to remain, but he persisted. The silver mech had pulled up a large stool to sit by the mech-sized berth Erin laid in the middle of. The exact middle of, as far from any edge as possible. He chattered on about whatever came to mind and dramatically freaked out whenever she admitted to have never seeing certain movies or hearing popular songs. All the while he tried his best to clan off the pink mess left over from training.

If Erin was being honest with herself, then she would admit that speaking with the mech was easy and even calming. Conversation flowed between them more easily than it did between her and Ironhide or Franky. This autobot, while annoying, wasn't too bad.

"Now, Ms. Brook," Ratchet interrupted Sideswipe's chatter, "I'm going to perform a deeper scan. Please hold still for me." He stood back a bit and Sideswipe cleared the general area around her.

The scan was not the worst he'd done, but it was still enough to make her bones rattle slightly. She mildly worried that he was slowly radiating her. The mech hummed to himself as his optics dimmed, no doubt closely studying the results.

"It seems," he started, "most of your injuries are superficial. As long as you keep the cut clean and don't worsen your bruises, you should be fine. Just to be safe, I want you to take a couple days off from training. Light workouts are acceptable, though." He leaned in close, "And when I say 'light' I mean a jog, stretching, and light weights. If I see you anywhere near the sparring field I will strap you down to that berth for a week. Understand?"

Erin nodded, "Yes, sir." She could see in his optics that this mech wasn't bluffing.

"Good." He leaned back to a more comfortable distance. "Now, I can see that you've finished ovulating. Tell me, has your cycle been regular? Are you experiencing excessive pain, bloating, changes in appetite not normally associated with menstruating?"

Erin's face turned a pink hue, her mouth agape. "Ratchet! Have you ever heard of doctor-patient-privacy?"

Her eyes darted to Sideswipe, who's optics dimmed slightly- a telltale sign he was searching the internet, before brightening and shooting open. He then seemed to find the ceiling _very_ interesting at that particular moment.

Ratchet followed the soldier's gaze to the very silent mech. "Oh, there's nothing wrong with it. I don't see why you're so embarrassed."

"Just," Erin massaged her temples, trying to contain herself, "everything's fine. Ok? Nothing to report, if there was you would _definitely_ be the first person I came to."

Ratchet didn't seem to catch her sarcasm, or he simply chose to ignore it. "Very well, Ms. Brook. You'll be free to go once I finish your medical report." He turned and headed to his desk where a data pad was located.

Sideswipe muttered to himself. "Scrap." He turned back to Erin, the previous conversation seeming to have been forgotten. "It looks like Prowl wasn't too pleased with what Sunny did during training, he's in the brig."

Erin could not say he didn't deserve it. Even in a training exercise, abandoning a teammate is pretty low.

"He'll be looking for me next. I'd give him a good chase but," his optics looked resigned, "I promised him I'd be good for the time being." He stood and gave Erin an apologetic smile. "Hopefully we won't be there long. See ya later, Sweetspark."

"Wait!" Erin's call managed to stop Sideswipe in his tracks. "Why are you going to the brig?"

The silver mech smiled and cheekily responded, "Aww, you don't want me to leave?"

Erin turned away from him, not able to meet those egotistical optics, "I never said that."

Erin hear the door to the med bay open and reclose. He left, just like that.

"Ratchet," she questioned the mech, still looking at the door, "why does Sideswipe think he needs to go to the brig?"

The medic casually glanced up from his data pad. "It's because they're twins, of course."

"Oh." Erin knew the twins shared a lot. Sideswipe had already explained that split-spark twins literally shared a single life force along with thoughts and emotions over their bond. Ratchet had reiterated that point, as well as Ironhide… and Prowl. It seemed that every 'bot thought being split-spark made the twins trouble. Erin just couldn't see the connection. Sure, Sideswipe was mischievous and Sunstreaker had anger issues, but was that really because they were twins? It sounded more like an excuse to her. _'They're split-spark so they're hopeless. Nothing we can do.'_ That just didn't settle right with her. It was cruel, and the other 'bots did not seem like the cruel type. Well, aside from Ratchet and occasionally Ironhide. And Wheeljack if he was pushed. But not Prowl and definitely not Optimus Prime.

Erin was not sure why, but she felt the need to confront the issue. It didn't really have any effect on her, whether Sideswipe was punished or not. She could still train with Ironhide until they were both released. Yet… it didn't make sense! Nevertheless, her body moved towards the edge of the berth.

"Am I free to go Ratchet." She asked shakily, peeking over the edge.

The mech mumbled something akin to 'sure'. Just then, Ironhide stepped in through the front entrance. Erin could hear his lumbering footsteps approach her, everything else was blocked out by the sense of vertigo swirling around her skull. There had been stairs there at one point, right? Were they still there? She couldn't tell.

Theoretically, she could easily jump the distance, she had the skill to land a much higher fall. However, without the presence of adrenaline to streamline her thoughts, panic could set in. The ten feet because fifty. A heavy thumping sound frazzled the air like static. It had a staccato rhythm, beating down through her uneasy stomach. Another wash of nausea hit her, accompanied by the sickening vibration of her bones. The feeling was familiar. The thumping turned to more of a thrumming as the sound slowly gained volume and intensity, followed by another wave of vibration and nausea. The feeling, was it Ratchet? Yes, he must have been scanning her.

Erin lifted her head from the ever-sinking ground and the noise because clearer. "Ms. Brook! What's wrong, your heartrate is rising."

"Erin." Ironhide's deep voice seemed to pull Erin out of her stupor. Her eyes narrowed as she focused on Ironhide's concerned features. He asked simply, "Would you like help down?"

Full awareness came back to Erin as she stared into his optics. They weren't human eyes, but she could see the understanding in them. She did not know how she interpreted it, whether it was his relaxed brow, or even the spinning segment around those blue glowing orbs, but she knew what she was interpreting. Silently, Erin nodded her head.

The large mech offered a hand. He did not just scoop her up and plop her on the ground. Instead, he was going at her pace. She carefully stepped onto his hand and knelt to keep her balance as he slowly lowered her to the ground so that Erin could quickly jump off.

She stood to her full height and gave the mech a grateful nod. She knew it would be better not to stay and say anything, he wasn't that kind of mech. "I have to get going." She turned and jogged out the human sized exit.

As she headed down the hall, she wondered what Ironhide was doing in the med bay to begin with. Didn't he say he was helping Que with a new weapon design? He didn't seem injured. Her thoughts were interrupted as she saw Prowl exit the door leading to the brig.

"Prowl, sir." Erin called out.

"Greetings Ms. Brook. Are you feeling better?" He held his hands behind his back, door wings high.

"I'm fine, just a couple of scrapes." She dodged the question. "I wanted to ask you where Sideswipe might be."

His wings twitched slightly. "He's in the brig along with Sunstreaker. His actions today could have caused you serious injury."

Her brows furrowed. "But why is Sideswipe being punished?"

"They are twins." He answered as if it should have been obvious.

She stared directly into his optics. "So they have to share the responsibility."

"Yes." He raised a optic ridge questioningly.

Erin straightened herself and attempted to avoid a demanding tone, "If they have to share Sunstreaker's punishment, then so should I, sir."

The mech seemed taken aback, a rare change in facial expression augmented by surprise. "Pardon me?"

"Teammates share responsibility, at least that was how I was trained to believe. I'll be joining them in the brig." She stated firmly, this time not leaving room for argument.

He looked at her as if she'd grown a second head. Erin could have sworn she saw a small spark from the back of his helm. "Well, Ms. Brook. While you are under autobot jurisdiction for combat purposes, punishments must be carried out by human supervisors using their own methods. I cannot send you to the autobot brig." Another slight spark emanated from behind his helm. Erin had never seen him glitch, but she had certainly heard of it.

"Then I'll send myself." She stepped past him and through the human sized door to the brig.

* * *

Sideswipe had fully expected to be bridged with his twin. That was the way things worked. They shared a spark, which meant they also shared duties, punishments, femmes… Honestly, he didn't think he would ever want to be in the brig without his twin or vice versa. That being said, being brigged was not particularly enjoyable, especially after having to leave his other comrade in the med bay to deal with Hatchet. Sideswipe needed stimulation, more than whatever entertainment he could find from the internet. His brother was not much different.

Sunny was not a particularly jittery mech. Sure, he needed movement, if he went too long without a fight he'd get… agitated. But he did not mind sitting still, as long as he had a paint brush or polishing cloth in his servo. At the moment, he had neither so agitated it was.

:Come on Sunny: Sideswipe sent to him, feeling frustration rolling off his twin in waves. Had they been placed in the same cell, he would have patted him on the shoulder, but several bars and a hallway separated their 'cages'. :Prowl won't keep us here too long.: Deep down, Sideswipe knew that was not the reason behind Sunny's anger. He was upset because of why they were imprisoned, for abandoning Rin.

Sideswipe could not particularly argue aainst Prowl's decision. Sunny should have helped her. Instead, he nearly ran her over just to save his paint job. Sideswipe loved his brother, but sometimes he was downright selfish. And his attitude towards Rin would have to change one way or another.

Sunny had apparently decided to ignore his twin and wallow in his own self-pity. Sideswipe had something productive to do at least. He took another look at the syphered message Prowl had intercepted a few weeks prior. Unfortunately, he could not fully match it to any decoding algorithm. He did not have enough data and Prowl had not provided any information. It in no way matched any decepticon or autobot coding he had ever seen. On the other hand, aside from the obvious characters, it was more similar to human codes. Sideswipe had shared his findings with Prowl, but the 'bot didn't seem too convinced that humans could trick autobots with complicated coding. Sideswipe, on the other hand, had been slowly realizing that there was more than meets the optic with the organic species in question.

As Sideswipe was working through his decoding program, the entrance to the brig opened. The last person he expected to see come through the door was a little human.

"Rin?"

Sunny looked up from his brooding, Surprised to see her as well. Prowl was right on her heels.

:Maybe Prowl will let us out,: he suggested upon seeing said mech follow the human into the room, :if you apologize to her.:

:Not happening.: he deadpanned.

The human barley acknowledged Sideswipe or Sunny as she stepped up to the nearest open cell and looked at the SIC expectantly.

:What is she doing?: Sideswipe questioned, although Sunny would not be able to see the femme from his angle in the neighboring cell.

Prowl looked almost uncomfortable as he deactivated the lock for her. For a moment, Sideswipe though the mech was going to glitch. Normally, watching sparks fly from his helm moments before he shuts down would be entertaining for the silver front liner, but considering he held the key code to their freedom, it was not a preferable circumstance. Sideswipe could just try to hack into the lock, but then he'd get bashed by 'Hide and thrown back in with stasis cuffs, as Prowl had threatened earlier. Decisions, decisions. Then he'd lose even more time he could be spending with Rin.

Sideswipe watched in silence as Prowl locked the door behind Rin and gave her one last look before heading towards the exit.

"Wait!" Sideswipe called the SIC's attention. "Why are you locking her up?"

He turned to Sideswipe, having revived his calm visage, "She insisted on it." He quickly turned and left, silently clicking the door closed behind him, but not before one more spark lit the hall ahead of him.

The silver mech faced the human who was casually leaning against the back wall in her oversized cell. "Why would you ask to be brigged?" Sideswipe was not sure what to think. 'Is she crazy? Is she messing with us? Why am I smiling?' He was, in fact, grinning madly at the odd little organic. 'What an odd stunt'. His mischief must have been rubbing off on her. And from the look in her eyes, Sunny's stubbornness was also present.

"Because," she explained, "If you're getting locked up for being Sunstreaker's twin, then I will get the same treatment for being your teammate." Aside from the light smirk that adorned her lips, she looked passive, as if the answer was obvious.

He shook his helm, pleased with this breakthrough. She seemed to really care about then, this was good. They were making progress. "You didn't have to do that."

Her smile broke, as if something internal disrupted her thought process. "Actually, I did." Suddenly, the soldier's tone turned hard. "You two need to learn what being a part of a team means. We win together, we lose together. Each member's decisions affects the others."

Sideswipe could feel ripples of anger coming from Sunny. He tried to reason with the yellow mech, :She's right, you know.:. Her words stung a bit. So she didn't share their punishment out of caring. In a way, this was a part of it.

Sideswipe felt something he did not experience often, guilt. He may not have been the one to abandon her, but he put her in that situation. Here was a femme, she was a small human for primus sake, but she was also brave. That was a quality Sideswipe admired in anybot. She was determined to do her part for her military. Meanwhile, Sideswipe was using her as a source of entertainment and an excuse for a status bump. He was working to get close to the femme, but for himself, not for the sake of friendship. He was so bold to think that she would be lucky to team up with him and Sunny, but there she was, in the brig, carrying the weight of their so called team. He felt lower than scrap.

:Sunny.: He called out, pleading through the bond.

:Don't call me that.: He let out an audible growl.

:She deserves an apology.: He stated firmly.

:Why?" the question felt weak. Sunny had been probing through Sideswipe's thoughts and felt a tinge of his guilt. It was small, like the grainy particulate that covered this planet's beaches, but it was still there in the yellow front liner. :Just 'cause you feel bad, doesn't mean I should apologies to a squishy. A Private at that, she she's just a low ranking organic who shouldn't even be allowed to speak to us that way.:

Sideswipe felt himself snap. :Will you cut it with that Cybertronian pride! Here we are on _their_ planet, working with _their_ military. If it wasn't for the humans then we would be floating around in space! No detailing wax, no comics, no microfiber rags, no washracks! Show some fragging gratitude for once!: Primus, he sounded like Ironhide. :She may be human, but she's a good femme. Admit it, I know you don't _hate_ having her around."

Sunny wouldn't fully admit it, but Sideswipe could feel his twin's conflicting emotions. His pride did not seem to fit with liking a human's company. After a few moments, Sideswipe lost hope in his brother trying to make things right.

"Look squishy," Sideswipe perked at Sunny's uncomfortable address of Rin, "I shouldn't have left you, drill or not." Rin may not have been able to face Sunny, but Sideswipe could see her surprised expression. "And," he continued, "you're not _that_ bad. For a squishy, I mean. You can keep up with us 'bots, so.. I guess what I'm trying to say is… welcome to the team."

Sideswipe almost alighted, seeing Sunny and Rin's matching shocked expressions.

A tense moment followed before Erin took a breath and replied, "Thank you, Sunstreaker." A small smile played on her lips.

Sunny just grunted to himself, but said nothing more.

The three fell into a slightly awkward silence, as Sideswipe laid back, feeling extremely pleased. His joy was dulled by a sight on his arm, a small splattering of red dots. Human blood. Rin's blood, from when he drove her to the med bay. Humans were so fragile. Sideswipe glanced over to the femme who looked relaxed. How could something so small be so strong? How could something so strong be so fragile? Sideswipe could see the darkening bruises that covered her left side, crawling down her arm and ribs. A basic scan showed the discoloration covering nearly 23% of her body. She was a mystery.

* * *

Prowl vented fresh air through his intakes, and filtered it through his cooling systems. A series of calming algorithms filled his processor. He worked through them, trying to avoid glitching. He considered himself lucky, going over two weeks without a serious incident from the twins. Of all the trouble they could have gotten in, this was not the worst case scenario he had imagined. In fact, he could foresee the plausibility of their improvement.

Just a day prior, Sunstreaker worked closely alongside humans, aside from Private Brook, for the first time. And when the yellow mech was brigged, his twin came without order or argument. It saved Prowl a lot of aggravation, something he could not deal with at the moment.

Moments after Prowl learned of Sunstreaker's reprehensible actions, Colonel Bishop had arrived. The Colonel, being one of their greatest benefactors, was a welcomed guest. His political connections aided the autobots in receiving the necessary funds for basics such as fuel, washracks, and twin damage control. The humans was not only an important ally, but straight forward, spoke logically, thus Prowl was always willing to entertain a visit from him. However, the timing was rather inconvenient.

Prowl blamed himself, mostly. He usually saw fit to use whatever means to hide the twins whenever the Colonel, or other important figures, visited the base. That time, however, he thought they would have enough self-control not to misbehave. Sideswipe had been loyal to his promise to abstain from pranking, so there would not less risk of the Colonel being covered in confetti, or returning to his chopper only to find it painted pink. Prowl even considered waiting to punish Sunstreaker, so that he would not be late to the meeting, but rules were one thing he could not ignore, and speed of action was paramount.

The mech kept his back straight and retained a calm demeanor as he hurried down the hall to Prime's office where his leader and the Colonel were waiting. He only needed a brief moment to pause before the door and compose himself, before sharply knocking twice.

After entering with the Prime's permission, Prowl found the mech sitting at his desk, while the man comfortably lounged in a chair seated upon said furniture. Prowl greeted the both before seating himself, one of the few times he ever did in any office other than his own.

"Apologies for my tardiness," he started, "I had disciplinary matters to attend to."

The Colonel waved it off, "I understand how things are. I expect it was the twins as usual."

Prowl allowed his door wings to lower a few degrees, the only sign of relaxation. "Unfortunately."

"You did not miss anything of great importance." Optimus assured him, though he no doubt knew Prowl would want a full report despite that, "We were simply discussing some of the human soldiers on the base, mainly the ones he aided in recruiting. Private Brook being chief among them."

"Ms. Brook is by far the most promising soldier I've sent your way." The Colonel stated proudly, "In fact, the paperwork for her promotion had finally been filed. She was meant to become a specialist weeks ago, but the transfer seemed to muddle things a bit. She should be happy to receive the news. Ms. Brook should climb the ranks quickly, given her expertise."

Prowl spotted his opportunity to gain information on the mysterious woman. "I must say, Colonel, I am admittingly concerned over having a soldier whom I know nothing about."

"My apologies, her service history has been sealed. But might I put your mind at ease?"

"If you please."

He began sounding as if he was reading off an intelligence report, "In April of 2010, Ms. Brook graduated from a specialized program for military based training. Thus her only being promoted to specialist now, considering she has only been serving in an official military capacity for just over a year. But after receiving nearly three years of combat training, she is on track for a few more quick promotions." His lips quirked, "Officially, in June of 2010 she did _not_ go on a top secret mission and did _not_ perform heroic actions in a battle which annihilated the remainder of her squad. And she did _not_ receive the Distinguished Service Cross for actions that saved at least a million lives. At least, not until twenty years from now when the nonexistent records are declassified. I know neither the details of this unreal battle, or much of what she did afterwards. I do know she was indisposed for a few weeks, recovering, and returned to service afterwards. That is all I am capable of telling you. Even Specialist Brook declined to answer any of my questions when I met her."

Optimus looked impressed. "The Distinguished Service Cross is a high honor, is it not?"

"Just under the Medal of Honor." He stated proudly. Prowl knew that the Colonel had received the very same honor when he was a Sergeant Major. Such an award was what led to a quick boost in his career.

"I see." Optimus muttered as he contemplated this piece of information.

Prowl himself was running his logic programming, matching every known military event with the date provided and crossing it with her possible military capacity at the time. Nothing of note came up.

"If I may be so bold as to provide some advice?" The Colonel asked, though not sounding meek in the slightest.

"Please do." Optimus replied.

"Use her in as much capacity as possible, before another company poaches her with promise of quick promotion. Soldiers like her want to climb the ladder quickly, so that they can enforce their own vision."

Prime was known to be loyal to the soldiers in his care. Because Ms. Brook was on Team Prime, he would not assuredly not 'use' them femme. He likely hoped she would be able to thrive within the scope of his authority, and not be 'poached' with the prospect of moving up in the ranks. Nevertheless, he answered diplomatically, "I'll keep that in mind."

"Recruits aside, now that we are all gathered here, I do have a report to make. In fact, I would like to recommend this new team between Ms. Brook and your autobots for a certain mission."

Prowl felt his systems start to stall. "Ms. Brook is otherwise engaged."

The human quirked a brow. "How so?"

* * *

Seconds ticked by as Sunstreaker laid in the berth provided in the brig. It was uncomfortable, unlike the interlocking metal pieces that conform to his frame in his regular berth, this one was just a solid sheet of thick metal. At least it was cleaner than the ground. That didn't save his frame, though. On top of that, he could almost feel the dullness of is armor. He felt disgusting.

Sides seemed to be in his own daze of introspection. He was absent mindedly rubbing a certain spot on his arm and glanced at it on occasion. His smugness from Sunstreaker's earlier admission faded not long after the fact Since then, his side of the bond was lightly closed. Sunstreaker could have poked through to see what was wrong with his twin, but the mech genuinely looked like he didn't want to be bothered, a rare occurrence for the silver twin. No sounds were coming from the squishy, she only ever spoke with Sides anyway. The problem was, he was fraggin' bored. He'd already gone through dozens of websites of varying interests. However, surfing the web wasn't cutting it. He wanted to move, or hit something. As the seconds seemed to extend, a light buzzing came from Side's cell. It slowly got louder as Sunstreaker was eventually able to identify the sound of a harmonica. Jail music. It quickly became apparent that the silver moron was not planning on stopping. He was even bouncing a pede to the rhythm.

"Cut it out you glitch!" Sunstreaker's sudden outburst caused Sides to flinch and shut off the offending noise.

"I'm just trying to do something," he whined, "I'm bored!"

"Well don't annoy me." He spat back. "Play a game or something."

"I'm tired of that." He huffed. What a sparkling. "You play some music."

"Not. In. The. Mood." He grit out. Honestly, all he wanted was to be back in his berth with some of that new wax he ordered two weeks prior. It was meant to have a longer lasting gloss.

"Hey Rin!" Sides called. "What about you? Can ya sing?"

Sunstreaker cringed at the thought of the squishy butchering whatever song she chose. He would have preferred the harmonica.

The silence from the cell next to his seemed to answer the question. At least he dodged that plasma bomb.

"I don't have many songs memorized." She nearly whispered.

Frag no.

Sides' excitement was palpable through the bond. "Sing whatever you can!"

Maybe it would be best if Sunstreaker just disabled his audio receptors.

A faint humming sound came from the cell next to his. It was light, changing rapidly in depth, testing out the sounds. The smooth tone caught his attention. "I hurt myself today, to see if I still feel, I focus on the pain, the only thing that's real."

He popped his helm up. The song came slowly, and quietly at first. He had to strain his audio receptors. The silvery sound slowly grew louder, though. He looked over to Sides who was staring at her, mouth open like an idiot.

"The needle tears a hole, the old familiar sting, try to kill it all away, but I remember everything." Her voice reflected pleasantly off the walls, filling the cavernous brig.

Sides' lip plates moved into a wide grin, before faltering. As the silky vocals reached him, an emotional timber shook his spark. Sunstreaker could feel the bittersweet contentment over their bond.

As for Sunstreaker, he wouldn't admit it out loud, no way. Humans were small, disgusting, insignificant beings. But the sound he was hearing, that was acceptable. It wasn't the squishy necessarily, there must have been good acoustics in the cells or something. Jazz would know about that.

He allowed his optics to shutter closed. Through the bond, he could feel Sides' calmness. _That_ was what lulled him, not the squishy.

She sung, gently, her voice betraying emotion she had never before displayed.

Ok, so the femme _could_ sing. And fight. She might have been a small exception for her species, not that it redeemed her for being organic. But, perhaps, he could deal with her for a moment. While she sang him nearly to recharge.

"Well, Ms. Brook."

Sunstreaker grit his denta as a fleshy stepped past the threshold into the brig.

His voice dripped condescending praise, "I was unaware you had such an angelic singing voice. You are a woman of many talents." There was something about the way he said 'woman' that made Sunstreaker inaudibly growl. Sides' armor prickled slightly.

His interruption caused the squishy to immediately stop singing. Sunstreaker could hear her scrambling, most likely to stand. The interrupting fleshy stepped up to the squishy's cell, out of Sunstreaker's optic range. He was followed by a rather distraught looking Prowl. Heh heh. Good.

The squishy stammered, regaining her normal professional tone, "Colonel Bishop, I uh… I'm sorry you have to see me, well…"

"At ease soldier." The male interrupted, again. "Prowl here explained the situation to me. I commend you for your actions. Sharing responsibility with your men, or mechs in this case. It's soldiers like you that we depend on."

"Thank you, sir." The squishy sounded relieved.

Honestly, that confused Sunstreaker a bit, she typically kept her emotions close to the chassis. The yellow mech grunted to himself. She was just putting on airs with him, nothing genuine. From the tone of Colonel Fleshy's voice, Sunstreaker approved of the femmes actions. He didn't like this human much.

Prowl cleared his vocal processor, "Colonel Bishop " He eyed both Sunstreaker and Sides, "has brought an important mission to our attention and has requested that _you three_ carry it out."

Something about that name seemed familiar. Even with the glance he had of the fleshy, he couldn't particularly recognize him. All humans looked alike anyway. Well, except for a few he knew in particular. But that name reminded him of something.

Prowl pinged him to open his comm link. - I expect you to act appropriately and as a team during this mission. That's an order.-

Sides gave him a cheeky grin. -Aw Prowl, yea of little faith.-

-Whatever- Sunstreaker huffed. He didn't need another lecture.

Prowl proceeded to open all of their cells. At least they would get an early release. Hopefully, he'd be able to punch some 'cons.

Thanks to the fleshies' statures, the group had to slowly walk to the briefing room. Sunstreaker considered just driving there. Prowl liked fleshies for some primus-forsaken reason, he should just take them in his alt-mode. But, instead they walked. Sideswipe seemed interested in whatever Colonel Fleshy was saying or doing. Sunstreaker could not hear anything of importance, just asking about how her training had been thus far, something about specializing or whatever.

He knew this fleshy from somewhere, or heard his name before. Bishop? Sunstreaker remembered a stellar cycle previous when he and Sides were told to go on a long patrol and not to come back until sundown. Apparently there was an important fleshy coming and the leadership did not want him to meet the front liners. His name was Bishop. Sunstreaker suddenly remembered. Bishop was the human that supposedly did something or the other to help N.E.S.T. Sometimes, his name was thrown around when it came to certain soldiers, apparently he recruited them. As a matter of fact, he remembered the squishy saying something about him. Colonel Fleshy must have been the one to recommend her to N.E.S.T.

A tinge of anger flowed into him from Sides' side of the bond. His twin's optics were zeroed in on the femme and male. Finally, the yellow mech noticed what the fragger was staring at, Colonel Fleshy's arm wrapped around the squishy's shoulders.

He mentally shoved his twin. :What are you thinking about, fragger?: It wasn't hard to tell by the emotions spilling over the bond.

Sides winced, his brother having pushed him a little too hard. :What? I don't like that guy putting his servos all over our squishy! He gives me a bad vibe.:

:Let's get one thing straight. She is not _our squishy._ She is our combat partner and nothing more. Whether or not she fraternizes with other humans is none of our business.: Hemade no outward effort to hide his frustration. Even the squish looked up at him questioningly as his pede steps nearly shook the ground under them.

:You don't really think that.: Sides shot back.

Sunstreaker suppressed a growl. :Yes I do.: He slammed the bond shut, earning another wince from his brother.

Sides prodded the bond. At first it was just a couple of pokes, which Sunstreaker ignored. Then, he started relentlessly tapping on it with growing amusement.

:What!: Sunstreaker asked, thoroughly enraged.

:If you don't care, then why are you staring at them like that?: he asked in a sing-song voice.

Sunstreaker quickly changed his gaze to focus on anything else. :I was not!:

:Sure… admit it, you want her to ourselves, don't you?:

:I don't even want to know what you are thinking about, you sick fragger.: Sunstreaker made his disgust apparent on his side of the bond.

Sides paused for a moment, curiosity overtaking his amusement. :I was talking about hanging out. What were you thinking of?:

:I'm not thinking of anything! You were implying…:

Sides' mischievous grin grew. :I know what you were thinking of! And you call me a 'sick fragger'.:

:So help me primus, if you don't drop it now, Sides, I will beat the ever living scrap out of you!:

As they approached the briefing room, Sides withdrew back into his side of the bond, snickering over what was still bridged between them. Sunstreaker would be sure to beat out whatever sick thoughts Sides might have had whenever they had a free moment.

Optimus and Ironhide were already in the briefing room, the latter looked fragged off.

Their leader greeted them, "Welcome, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Specialist Brook, has Colonel Bishop discussed your mission with you yet?"

Sunstreaker tipped his head, specialist? He thought she was a private or something. He didn't actually know what each of the ranks meant, though. Humans just had too many of them. He just knew Private and a servo full of others.

The squishy saluted, "Sir, he has spared the details thus far."

"At ease." He nodded to her, a smile playing on his lip plates.

"Optimus," Ironhide grumbled, "They're not ready and Erin's still injured."

The Prime considered his friend for a moment, "The twins may be young, but they are skilled warriors, and Specialist Brook has shown every qualification of a capable soldier. And, must I remind you that Ratchet already cleared her for this mission, considering the low risk."

"Sure Erin can handle the mission, I have every confidence in her," he stated with a hint of pride, "But this morning proves that they are not ready as a team. What if the twins' antics injure her further?" Ironhide shot a glare in Sunstreaker's direction. The yellow mech, not one to back down, crossed his arm and stared straight back.

Colonel Fleshy intervened, "If I may, gentlemen, their team makeup is precisely why I requested them for this mission. It is a good opportunity to assess their cohesion. Besides, a successful incorporated team such as theirs would no doubt benefit our alliance."

"I happen to agree with Colonel Bishop." Prime placed a servo on the weapon specialist's shoulder, most likely adding something over the comm. He turned to the team once again. "According to intelligence provided by Colonel Bishop, we believe that a unit which he advises tracked down and obtained Cybertronian weapons in an area called Colville, Washington. We cannot be sure because transmitting images or scans may not be secure." Sunstreaker was not surprised by that last remark, he knew Sideswipe was working on intercepted codes provided by Prowl. The 'cons were becoming more active. "I am assigning you three to inspect these devices, collect them, and transport them back to base. The humans with whom you will rendezvous do not know of our existence so you, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, must remain in your vehicle forms."

"Sir." The squishy raised her voice, receiving a nod for her to continue, "How were these weapons obtained?"

Colonel Fleshy answered, "The unit that found them, the Raptors, were tracking a possible threat and found the devices when raiding a targeted bunker."

"So," Sides asked, "they were in human possession?"

The fleshy nodded, "Yes, however we do not know how they attained such devices, but there is an investigation underway by the Raptors. All findings will be reported to N.E.S.T."

"Wait," Sunstreaker growled, "we are leaving this to squishies? These are not human weapons, we should be tracking the fraggers down."

Prime raised a placating servo, "It was difficult enough receiving permission to move you three. Right now we do not have the resources to perform a sufficient investigation. There are too few of us left. However, Colonel Bishop has requested pulling a few N.E.S.T soldiers to head the investigation. They will depart after you return with an initial report and work with the Raptors on our behalf."

"And just who are these 'Raptors'?" he asked in a slightly subdued, but challenging tone.

The squishy turned to him, Sunstreaker didn't miss the warning look in her eyes. "The Raptors are an elite tracking squad. They have every qualification needed for such a mission. Although," she gave a sidewise glance to Colonel Fleshy, "their deployment to Washington State is a bit odd."

The Fleshy regarded her for a moment, "That information is classified, I'm sure you can understand that, Specialist Brook."

"Of course, sir." She replied. Sunstreaker noticed an untrusting glint in her eye. So, he and Sides weren't the only ones who felt something was off about this particular human.

"Do you understand your orders?" Prime questioned.

All three replied, "Yes sir." Some sounded more firm than others.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello, so this is not a very long chapter (Sorry about that) but there is a lot to it. Now, I was hoping to get your guys' opinions about something moving forward. Obviously, the genre of this story is romance, so I was wondering what you might be looking for with "romantic description' aka: smut or no smut? Since this is my first story, I obviously have no experience with writing about... ahem... 'private situations' but I have a couple ideas for as to how to go about it. Obviously, if i go forward with it, the rating will go up. And stuff between the twins has already been implied, so please don't feel shocked if one of these chapters has SSXSS. I just wanted to hear your opinions. I also kind of just want to encourage more reviews. They fuel me!**

 **Speaking of reviews, thank you to angel9507, Vanilla Skittles, and Edges05!**

 **And, as always, thank you for reading!**

Chapter 14

The mission assigned to them was simple enough. Get in, grab the weapons, get out. It was a good way to monitor their cohesiveness as a team. If they couldn't manage a simple delivery run, they wouldn't serve much for Team Prime.

The plane trip was uneventful Erin reviewed maps provided during transport, something Sunstreaker smugly said a 'bot would never need to do on this planet since they had complete access to the internet. She didn't even have internet access on that flight; while her data pad would allow it, she did not bring it. The Raptors were trained to pick up on any oddities, and if they caught a glance at her alien device, they would likely become suspicious. Besides, Erin had been trained not to depend exclusively on technology, present company excluded. She had learned to both read and memorize maps and terrain.

Erin distinctly remembered one instance in her training. She and seven other recruits were dropped off in the middle of the Vietnamese jungle, by the Kong River. At the time, she was so focused on avoiding the poisonous spiders and finding food and ample shelter, she had delayed the entire mission, to escape. Meanwhile, her ability to decipher exact direction was weak. It took them three weeks to reach the objective point rather than the allowed two. Erin had learned that, while survival was important, the mission always came first. And she paid a hefty price. Punishments were gingerly handed out with every failure. It was a part of what carved her into becoming such a skilled soldier.

Erin knew N.E.S.T was different. Encouragement was used in place of most threats, with the exception of Ironhide. Erin wouldn't say that made the soldiers softer. Soldiers like Adam, who displayed impressive strength and skill during training, proved that specialized intensive training was not the only way to become a strong soldier. She did wonder, however, how her life would have turned out had she been a normal recruit, or even a civilian. Certainly different. Maybe even then, she would have a true sense of freedom?

While Erin studied her maps, Sunstreaker polished his finish to an impressive sheen that Erin could not help but admire. Sideswipe played some game on his data pad, rather than pushing her for a conversation. It was likely to allow her time to rest and recover, something for which the soldier was grateful.

They all needed a moment of R&R. Their time in the brig was not the most relaxing, and they had twenty hours of travel ahead of them. Eventually, both 'bots found a comfortable place to lounge in. Luckily, the plane was a massive transport vessel with twenty feet between each wall. All three fell asleep, hoping to get a few hours rest before heading out on their mission.

The drive was a bit more eventful. Once they landed the twins folded back down to their alt-modes before the ramp could descend. The Raptors, a group of highly proficient no-nonsense soldiers, met them on the airstrip. As professional as they were, the men did not even spare minutely confused glances to the out of place vehicles that rolled onto the tarmac, followed by a lone, female soldier.

The men were all tall, had athletic builds, and wore the same style of hair; short, with shaved sides. Their uniforms consisted of forest green and browns, which matched the Pacific woods perfectly. Erin was still suspicious of their location. Erin new there were hidden domestic terrorist organizations in places where most civilians would not expect. The middle of a Washington State National Park would be an admittingly odd location. However, the Raptors themselves were trained for international deployment in populated areas. The only reason she could consider their location at the time would be either they were located their for specialized training, tat was the base of their operations, or the weapons had been discovered in a different location and moved to that region. The third possibility was the most likely. It made sense, the Raptors did not interact with other forces of the military. Keeping secrets from their fellow service members and even commanders was natural. She had considered questioning Colonel Bishop over the purpose for their deployment. He, after all, oversaw all Raptor activity. However, as a mere specialist, she had no place to question the Colonel's motivations.

Erin was, at least, grateful to ride in a jeep among other humans. The Northwestern climate was humid, albeit cold, something Sunstreaker openly grumbled about over the short distance radio Erin had lodged in her ear. Not to mention, the road was unpaved. With each bump and jerk, the yellow autobot cursed. While he spoke English, it was in an odd alien fashion. Erin could guess the general meaning of most his choice phrases, 'frag' and 'slag' were familiar, but calling the creator of said road a "piston head who doesn't know the difference between a retro-rat path and a scrap head" was new.

Still, Sunstreaker had taken the front of the formation, forcing Sideswipe to be in the back where he was being thoroughly coated in dust. Erin was not entirely sure why the twins were speaking openly with their comm links to her radio. Usually, only Sideswipe would even speak with her, and that was face to face. Or with never ending texts to her data pad. This time, however, the mechs were engaged in small various conversations with her as their silent audience. Most of what they said was nothing extraordinary, laughing about the misfortunes of various 'bots back on base, Wheeljack and Mirage being at each other's necks, how annoying Mirage is, Prowl's glitch, their distaste for Mirage, Bumblebee's upcoming arrival along Sam Witwhicky, future plans for pranking or otherwise torturing Mirage. They really did not like that mech. Sunstreaker even called him a ''con sympathizer'. Apparently, the infiltrator was shunned for wanting the war to end with a peaceful agreement between both sides. None of the other 'bots, including Optimus, thought such an arrangement was possible.

About an hour into their drive, Sideswipe addressed Erin for the first time. "Hey, Rin. Why do humans even live in areas like this? There has to be better options than forests and cheap roads. Why don't they just stick to the cities?"

Sunstreaker added his two-cents, "Yeah, this is just primitive and filthy."

Erin considered not answering, she couldn't hide her side of the conversation from the men around her, but knowing Sideswipe's persistence… Erin placed two fingers over her ear to show she was speaking to her team, and not randomly striking up a conversation. "In combat, natural cover provides an advantage. As for civilians, there are several reasons; family history in a given area, agriculture, and practicality. Not everyone wants to live in a big city, and not everyone can afford it."

"They should just pave over it." Sunstreaker huffed.

"That costs money that not everyone has. Besides, we need nature. Oxygen comes from plants, we'd die without it." Erin hoped her argument wouldn't sound too odd for the Raptors around her, most adults already knew this stuff. "Also, other species would go extinct without their natural habitat. Besides, city life has its own problems."

Sideswipe chuckled, "Yeah, we get that last part."

"It's the fault of you squishies for not developing an artificial way to make oxygen." Sunstreaker grumbled, cursing at another pothole.

Erin couldn't help but smile at his tone. "Perhaps you and your scientist can get together on that when we get back."

The drive itself was three hours. At the end of it, they came across a well-covered bunker that was nearly buried under the earth. It was odd how an anti-terrorist organization was able to hide in a publicly available National Park, but they were so far from any trails, as Erin surmised considering her study of the maps, it would be nearly impossible for a tourist to stumble across their base of operations. The entrance, which was made of thick concrete, was the only sign of the bunker's existence. When they drove down, it was apparent that there was too little room for the twins to transform should the need arise.

In a large open room, they exited the jeeps and the Raptors led the soldier and two vehicles down a corridor to a smaller dimly lit room. At the far wall, six crates sat, bathed in portable halogen lights.

Erin stepped forward to inspect the contents, mostly to lift them within view of the twins so they could get a proper scan. Two odd electrical sounds emanated from behind her. She jumped in to a defensive posture, pistol drawn. One of the Raptors held a large, cannon-like device, lowering it away from Sideswipe. Small, visible electrical currents buzzed around each vehicle.

"What did you do?" She demanded, aiming her weapon. Her actions were greeted with six, much larger, guns pointed at her.

A deep voice called from behind her, "Lower you weapon, Specialist Brook."

Erin spun to see Colonel Bishop enter in from a side door, followed by eight men wearing black armor from head to toe. "Colonel! What is the meaning of this?" she hissed.

"This, my dear, is an opportunity. And feel free to call me by my other name, Silas." He grinned, hands behind his back like a proper commander. "You are a good soldier, I would like to offer you a position under my command."

Erin, not seeing any way out that didn't end with her being full of bullet holes, lowered her weapon. "Explain." Her tone took on a more subservient tone, to show her compliance.

"I run an organization called Mech. We collect and study cutting edge technology. You are a smart girl with top notch training; I have no doubt you can see the wars on the horizon."

Holstering her weapon, freeing her hands, Erin gestures to the cars behind her, "What does that have to do with us? If you just wanted to recruit me, you could have done so before bringing me to N.E.S.T, or even back at base the other day."

"We need samples of advanced technology. Just consider your own weapons. They are powered by the aliens' energon, are they not? Strong enough to take down titans such as these." he gestured to the prone vehicles, "Just what mech needs. Typically, N.E.S.T teams are too large to take on quietly. We needed a scenario in which only a few would be required."

She needed to gather information as quickly as possible, while trying to find a way out alive. "Even with a small team, taking on the twins is risky. How did you know those weapons would work on them? From what I know, N.E.S.T hasn't tested anything like these."

Silas's eyes were full of confidence and egoism. "They were created after studying the remains of another of their kind."

Erin needed to choose her words carefully, certain phrases could accidently give her intentions away, but she had to know. "Were these remains gathered recently?"

He raised his brow, an appraising eye brushing over her. "Perceptive aren't we?"

Erin wasn't surprised. She didn't feel too emotional either. Silas was starting a war, and that was what happens in combat. It's not like she felt much for Cybertronians to begin with. "So you want to 'study' them?"

He nodded, "They are not my sole interest, though. I collected you for N.E.S.T along with several other skilled soldiers throughout the years to create a positive relationship with the autobots. That way, they wouldn't expect any of my men to be spies."

"Why have spies in the first place?" she questioned, "You were the one who lobbied for an alliance with the autobots." Her hands fidgeted, two fingers tapping on her hip twice.

"Let's just say, Mech is not sanctioned by the U.S Military."

"If you tried to use political means to get to the autobots," she clarified, "the military would see you as a threat and go after you."

He grinned, the smile turned wickedly dark in the shadow of the cavern. "Precisely."

She had to be careful over how much she probed for information. "I'm guessing the men accompanying you are mech." She only paused long enough for him to nod. "And the Raptors, are these men part of your infiltration, or do you own them all?"

"Analyzing my forces, are we?" he responded.

Shit. She went too far. Erin took a couple of steps back to be between the vehicles, one hand placed on Sideswipe's warm hood. She needed to through him off. "It wouldn't be betrayal if you recruited me to begin with, huh?" The heat under her hand warmed slightly. She tapped six times. "So, what happens to them?"

"Officially, Mech ambushes then and terminates, dumping their husks into the sea. You manage to escape." Good. He followed her lead in the conversation.

"After some 'questioning', no doubt." She gave him a knowing glare.

"Don't worry, they'll be gentle." He motioned towards the armored men behind him.

"And unofficially?" She inquired.

"They'll be taken apart and studied. You will return to your base and gather information on their biology and whatever else you can observe, and wait for further commands.

Erin straightened. "Yes, sir." A faint smile played on her lips. 'Here's to hoping he got the message', "Ready!"

A flash of sliver exploded next to her. A wheeled leg hooked around her back as she turned on the men behind the 'bots. Within a fraction of a second, her gun flashed. Energon bullets, too strong for use on humans, tore through two men and left a gaping hole in a third's shoulder. He would bleed out within seconds. Erin dropped as the first bullets pinged off Sideswipe's armor behind her. One more shot obliterated three legs, followed by a third which tore a Raptor clean in half. By then, the first victim's body hit the floor, followed by the thumping of more corpses and agonizing screams. Erin fired off two more shots at potential survivors.

She turned to the mech who shielded her six. Past his side, she could see the splatter of blood. It didn't take a genius to guess what happened to the Mech agents. Sunstreaker was still motionless in his vehicle mode.

"Bishop?" she questioned the silver mech who was half splayed out on the ground due to the low ceiling.

"Escaped through the side door. You get him, I'll take care of Sunny."

Erin wordlessly pulled her blade, keeping the hilt in her left hand, blade resting against her forearm as she held the gun in her dominant hand. She stepped over a body and paused for a second. Quickly, she fired off at each of Sideswipe's victims, sending a spray of organic fluids across the room.

"What are you doing?" Sideswipe asked, disgust apparent on his faceplates. He raised an arm as the blood speckled both him and Sunstreaker's hood.

Erin continued towards the door, only sparing a quick explanation. "I kill the enemy humans, it gets written off. You do it, there will be serious consequences."

Without another word, she passed the threshold into darkness. The hallway was narrow, nowhere to hide. Slowly and silently, she passed through, becoming engulfed in the dark. One hand felt along the walls as a guide. The hall split at an intersection. Her eyes barley registered the darker entrances from the solid blackness of the walls. The humming of air vents overhead echoed down, drowning out all other sounds.

Sideswipe's voice came on over her radio, "Sunny's conscious, what's your status?"

Erin growled in frustration. "I lost him. I'm moving back to rendezvous with you We need to get out of here. Comm our transport, let them know we need an emergency airlift and enemies may be in pursuit."

"No luck, sweetspark, whatever they blasted us with fried our comms, and scanners."

Erin doubled back, they had to get out as soon as possible. Light greeted her as she stepped back into the scene of carnage. Both mechs had apparently stepped over the corpses and were waiting in the alt-modes, engines angrily growling. With their mission in mind, Erin didn't hesitate to climb into Sideswipe's cab. The twins practically soared out of the bunker, only to be greeted by a hail of gunfire. They were surrounded by men on the ground and in vehicles.

Sideswipe stayed in his alt-form, locking Erin in, most likely to protect her from the never ending barrage of bullets. Sunstreaker transformed and grabbed the nearest jeep and tossed it at another. He flipped another over a group of Mech agents, crushing them in a second, and kicked it clear across the open space, mowing down men who were too slow to get out of the way. He grabbed a third vehicle, still loaded with humans, and tore in in two, throwing each half at different enemy vehicles.

Within moments, the Mech agents were retreating. The yellow front liner, apparently not yet satisfied, let out a furious war cry before sprinting after the survivors.

Just then, a loud whirring noise started behind them. Ern could see a helicopter gaining altitude. Without warning, the cab surrounding Erin tore itself apart. Swiveling parts flashed before her as she was thrown into the air. A four fingered hand caught her as her vision began to swim. Gravity seemed to strengthen as Sideswipe leaped into the air. Erin could only see his wheeled pedes kick off a spray of earth under him. A moment of weightlessness allowed Erin a second to panic before they descended back to the ground.

Erin mentally slapped herself as she forced her eyes up to see a helicopter fighting in Sideswipe's grasp. His weight was enough to drag it down. Inside, Erin saw Silas. Her vision narrowed to her objective. Quickly, she climbed out of Sideswipe's gentle grip, freeing his servo, and crawled up his outstretched arm.

The fear could have liquified her organs, but she pushed through it. Heights or death, she had chosen which she feared most. Right as she reached the mech's hand, the chopper door opened, showing Silas armed with a large, familiar looking weapon. The exertion on his face from carrying the heavy device was a stark reminder. How could he have gotten a hold of that?

The man aimed it down at Sideswipe's chassis. The mech had to use both servos to keep a hold of the helicopter, but he managed to swing his arms, forcing the vehicle to careen to the side, throwing off Silas's balance. Right when Erin grabbed the bottom railing, Silas redirected his weapon lower on Sideswipe and fired.

Sideswipe lost his grip as the helicopter suddenly ascended. The sudden release caused the machine to wildly fishtail in the air. Erin hung on desperately as they zoomed over the woods, barley scraping above the tree line. She tried to climb, desperate the find something solid for her dangling feet. Silas stared down at her, disappointed contempt all over his scarred visage. Erin glared back, she still had a job to complete.

"You chose the wrong side, Brook." He yelled over the sound of the rotors. His massive weapon was aimed back at Erin, a purple glow emanating from within the barrel. With a surge of adrenaline, Erin pulled herself up and grabbed the gun, wrestling to direct it away from her. The man was strong, for his age, but Erin was younger and stronger. Her arm wrapped around the thick strap which was attached to the weapon, giving her maneuvering power. She managed to direct the gun away just as it fired. The energy blast tore to her left, right through the pilot's seat. As the chopper violently careened to the side, Silas kicked Erin straight in the chest, sending her falling to the earth, newly obtained weapon weighing her down.

Falling. The wind cut at her, scraping mercilessly and laughing at the stilling shock that froze her body. Her gaze was locked on the merciless sky as it pushed her out of the heavens, down to the hellish end awaiting her. Her body would crumple and decay, alone and without love. No one would save her. She was alone.

In her peripheral, Silas' scowl, only yards above her, as time seemed to still. He's angry. Why? Is he angry about dying? Falling in a crash, only to be burned to death should his broken body survive? Or was it because she got his mini cannon, the one Que had designed. She couldn't conjure such an emotion as anger at that time. Only fear.

Green clouded her vision as whips beat her back. Her shoulders screamed as it was slashed into. Then, nothing.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello, I just have to say how happy I was to see so many reviews and comments! I was so motivated by them, I wrote an extra chapter! I just need to do the final edits and it should be uploaded Monday. To be honest, these weren't the easiest chapters to write, so if you think they need work, let me know!**

 **Thank you to ImaginarySuicide, Starimus Prime, ladybug1995, Cinematronix, Storry Teller, (Guest), aquarius89, Edges05, and lilykitty99! Also, thanks for giving your opinions for my question. I am going to see how the story flows and we'll see what happens between our heros! Also, thank you to everyone who favorite/follows the story. I would love it if you all told me your opinion on how its going as well as any theories as to where it will go.**

 **And as always, please enjoy!**

Chapter 15

"I should be out there looking for them!" Jazz argued from his laying position on the berth. He was supposed to avoid movement as much as possible, so he settled for keeping his arms crossed over his chassis. "Those three may be strong, but they are untested as a team. Someone else should have gone with them to begin with, simple transport job or not."

Ratchet grumbled to himself incoherently before turning to face the smaller 'bot. "You know the risks. Physical activity puts a strain on the dampeners. If you're half way across the planet, there will be nothing I can do to stop it." He turned back to the monitor screen which was showing a myriad of data coming from Jazz.

"It's been four years, Ratch! I can't just sit still forever. Besides, I was fine in Alsace." The third in command grouched, but remained motionless.

Ratchet sympathized with the mech. It was hard to remain on the sidelines while the 'bots under one's watch put their sparks at risk. For Ratchet, he could at least do something to help them stay online after a battle. Jazz, on the other hand, was watching both his personal and leadership abilities die away.

"Give it to me straight, doc, how is it?" Jazz questioned, looking sullenly at the vaulted ceiling.

Ratchet's frown deepened upon hearing the TIC's tone. "Well, your external plating and paint nanites are still unresponsive. However, there is an increase in internal scanning and your electro-synapse network are operating at an impressive rate. The only problem being, it is all due to the xenolytic subnanites and not your own cyberneticides."

"So nothing's changed." Jazz clenched his fists. "Why don't we just turn off the fraggin' dampeners and let this slag run its course?"

"You know what would happen if he did that." Jazz lifted his helm, against Ratchet's orders, to see Prowl walking in. "We don't want a repeat of last time, Jazz. Have patience."

Prowl's words really ticked off the silver mech. He narrowed his optics, making a thin line of light glow behind the visor. "You really don't trust me Prowler? You just want to lock me up on base till the sun burns out. Do you really think having me follow around a bunch of fleshies is going to distract me from what your trying to do?" Jazz sat straight on the berth, monitors blinking on and off alarms around him.

Ratchet took a step forward to restrain his patient, but a look at the color behind his visor made him pause.

To Prowl's credit, he looked mostly impassive at the outburst from the otherwise chill mech. Though, his door wings drooped a little upon seeing the state his friend was in. "I am not caging you, Jazz. Were you not on a mission a few weeks ago?"

Jazz practically bared his denta, armor flexing around him in an animalistic gesture. "You sent me to search out clues! If you thought there would be a battle you would have used 'Hide instead!" The 'bot ripped at the wires attached to his frame, making the screens behind him go dead.

"Of course I would have. You are not ready for real combat." Prowl tensed slightly, but otherwise kept still. His optics batted over to Ratchet, who was wisely allowing Prowl to handle the situation. He was, after all, the one who took care of things last time. Still, the medic appeared ready to jump into action to protect either his patient, or who may soon become one.

Jazz's visor flashed. "I knew it! You don't trust me! You think I'm just gonna lose control at any moment, don't you?" In a flash, the 'bot was only feet away from the SIC.

Prowl could feel the heat radiating off his frame and see the ominous purple glow from behind his visor. Keeping his focus on the silver mech, Prowl addressed Ratchet, "How much did you turn down the dampeners?"

Jazz visibly flinched at the question.

"Twenty seven percent." Ratchet replied, scooting towards the side table by the berth where his equipment was.

"That's all." Prowl sighed, is optics piercing into Jazz.

The TIC's visor lost shades of red, transitioning back to its normal blue tones. He took two steps back, glancing between the medic and second in command. Finally, he seemed to find his words again. "Prowler, I… I'm sorry." He shook his helm. "Ratchet, just, hurry up and turn them back up, k?"

Prowl stepped forward, trusting his friend had regained control. In a rare display of affection, Prowl placed a servo on the smaller mech's shoulder plate. "It's alright. You were not yourself. I know Ratchet will find a cure, someday."

Jazz looked down, it was painful for Prowl to see. Jazz was always confident and lively, but his condition was slowly chipping away at him. Ratchet quickly grabbed his xynolyte inhibitor and attached it to the back of Jazz's down turned helm. In a second, the dampeners the medic had created were once again operating at 100%. Ratchet loathed the thought of restraining the mech during these procedures, but he might have to consider it in the future.

The TIC visibly relaxed at not having to fight off the foreign particles. A humorless chuckle slightly shook his frame. "I guess this is the price of coming back to life."

* * *

Awareness was the first thing to hit her. Not full consciousness, but the sense of here and now. She was there. Where was that? She had been unconscious, not asleep, something did that to her. That something might still of been around.

Sound retuned next, it was busy, like a hive of bees. Chirping, squalling, leaves rustling, the air was alive with noise.

Then, she could feel. The ground was moist, its chill stung her bare skin. The winding air caressed over her form. She could feel the sting of air meeting open flesh. She was injured, at least to some extent. With physical sensation returned, Erin willed herself to remain still. Her heart rate remained controlled under careful breathing. She resisted the urge to stretch or turn.

A reddish, orange light started to filter past her eyelids as the last strings of consciousness pulled themselves taught.

'Analyze. Start will feeling.' Erin turned her awareness to her body. The ground was soft and patchy, small plants pushed under her back. She was outside. Hands and feet were unbound. That was good. Her right shoulder stung with the promise of a fresh wound while her left side ached in a familiar way. Old injuries, little broken skin. She felt as if her back was lost between numbness and pain. There was also a pressure on her chest, accompanied by a swelling pain in her ribs. Other than that, no noticeable damages. The light she could catch was uneven and patchy, there was likely some form of cover over her. A forest. The sounds around her only confirmed the theory. Erin's mind filtered through places with forests that would accumulate such sounds. Too many. Was she supposed to be in a forest? She could not remember.

Erin focused on what she could not hear. The beating of branches in the wind were erratic, not controlled. There was no heavy breathing or nearby twigs crackling underfoot. Hopefully, that meant there were no potential enemies nearby.

Prepared to fight, Erin shot her eyes open and stiffly rolled to a crouching position, ready to dodge any oncoming attack. The object that was on her chest thumped against the ground.

The only sight that greeted her were large trees with shimmering leaves. Fronds half the size of her entire body poked out of the ground and root systems carried fungal invaders along the maze of the earth. The trees were big, with wide trunks no unique signs she could identify, but at that point, she could narrow down the possibilities.

Erin assessed herself. The back of her jacket was shredded, along with her undershirt. Her pants also had impressive tears. She had her radio, but a quick test of three bursts, one short and two long, yielded no response from anyone. Even her hair tie was missing. The object in front of her was painfully familiar, Que's blaster prototype. How did it end up on top of her? Her e-blade was securely holstered, but her pistol was missing. That made her feel far more exposed. The first prickles of anxiety poked at her mind. She had to focus. What did she last remember?

The stinging in her shoulder brought her back to the training exercise. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. They were in the brig. Colonel Bishop came. They had a mission, but something happened. Right, the ambush and the helicopter. That left her in the National Forest. Alone and covered in her own blood. Wonderful.

She checked her older wounds, only a couple of days old. The bruising on her side was slightly faded, but still discolored a large portion of her body with black and blue. Her fingers probed along her back, finding open wounds caked with wet earth. The cuts did not seem too deep, though. Her shoulder had freshly dried blood on it, mixed in with small particles of dirt. While she was inoculated against infection, falling victim to a disease was not an impossibility. Once she found a way to get clean water, she would have to sanitize the wound. She focused internally, no broken bones, a possible fracture of her left wrist from her fall and a few bruised ribs, likely from the blaster falling on her, and the air in her and lungs felt heavy. A painful coughed ripped through her throat. The moisture that had soaked through her damaged clothes tore at her and made her shiver. She was getting sick. Perfect.

The ground around her showed a slight dishevelment of earth where she had landed. Sprayed around was also more dried blood. She glanced up to see broken branches signaling where she fell from. They must have been what cut her back and helped break her fall. In a way she was lucky, hopefully the cuts would be a small price to pay to avoid a broken back.

A new mission plan sorted out in her mind. Her first objective was to find the twins, those two weren't likely to get captured, but there was no telling what tech Mech had developed. Using the same trick twice won't work against them, but mech could have any number of secrets to use against the 'bots.

She scanned the area, passing through the tall trees in search for her teammates, just in case. However, as expected, there was no sign of them. Hopefully, she would find them on her way to a safe objective point. If the map she had studied was accurate, she'd have a basic understanding of where she was. The helicopter could not have taken her too far, but returning to the bunker would be suicidal. She needed to evac.

It was a matter of pinpointing her exact location to determine her next move. She had been southward of the base. If she could find water, hopefully from one of the nearby lakes, she would be able to follow the flow to find a road. Erin looked up the trees and considered climbing for a vantage point. However, a deep fear gripped at her. If she became paralyzed up there, then there would be no one to bring her down. She couldn't let weaknesses delay her mission. Even if she climbed, the thick canopy above would not likely yield any landmarks. It was not worth the risk.

She focused her hearing, filtering through the ambient noise. The trickling of water managed to catch her attention. She slowly headed towards the sound, on a constant scan for danger. She also had to keep an eye out for possible supplies or food sources. It was important to keep her defenses up as well as her strength. Heavens knows how long she would be there. The ride to the bunker had taken three hours. Considering the terrain, the speed at which they were traveling, and the direction, the closest guaranteed safe point would be to the southwest would be sixty miles. A glance at the sky, and the sounds of morning birds, gave her an idea where of east was. Sixty miles was a long distance, and there was a possibility that she could miss the forest exit and head even deeper into the woods, but it was her best option at the time.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught an object unnaturally sitting on a push. Luck must have been on her side, because it was her pistol, barrel pointing up to the sky that cast it down. Erin secured her recovered accessory, glad to be fully armed again. The new weapon she wielded, which was helpfully strapped to her back, added an annoying amount of weight. But it was better to take it than leave it for Mech to recover. Silas had used it against Sideswipe, but Erin hadn't been able to see the results. Still, if it was powerful enough to be used against him in the first place, it would be useful against a Mech raid. Erin wisely decided not to test its power to avoid catching any attention. She had no hope of discovering other things about it, such as number of possible shots. Aside from the trigger, it looked completely alien.

Even being slowed by exhaustion and extra cargo, eventually, Erin saw the telltale shimmering of water. But it was too quiet. She approached, only to find disappointment. There was no lake, not even a river. A small brook trickled by, only three feet wide. There was a chance this brook could bleed into a larger body of water, which Erin would be able to identify. There was also the possibility it could lead her away from her target. She looked forwards, down the brook's path. In the distance, it seemed to widen slightly. The current was strong, for its size. It had to be her best bet.

After hours of silent walking, the light of the day was slowly drowning out. She would have to make camp for the night, and hopefully sleep off her oncoming ailment.

Erin had little trouble cutting out an expansive root that limply curled around a decomposed log. She dug into it, finding soft, dried mulch. Erin carefully cupped her kindling together and strike her e-blade against the flint she kept in her left breast pocket. After a few attempts, one ember caught. She carefully nursed it into a small glowing flames, feeding it larger pieces of the log. After half an hour, she had a well-built fire with a trench dug around it. At least she would be warm for the night. Lighting a fire was risky, but going through a cold night would possibly leave her immobile with illness. The chosen log also happened to have some termites which offered a not-so-lovely snack. Her throat burned as the insects were swallowed down, but her stomach gratefully took them in. This was about survival. She only wished she had more wilderness training. While she had some, it was not satisfactory for her.

Erin allowed herself to fall into a light sleep, dagger in hand, ready to jump up and defend if necessary. Hopefully, she would find the twins in the morning.

* * *

Systems: Rebooting

Optics: Online

Neural Sensors: Online

Nanites: Operational

WARNING: Virus Detected

Scanners: Infected

Weapons: Disabled

Subspace Systems: Infected

Scanning

WARNING

Virus in Subsystems

Defensive Response?

-Yes-

Scanners: Offline

Weapons: Disabled

Subspace Systems: Disabled

WARNING

Scans incomplete

Location: Unknown

Sideswipe's optics shot open, his systems were pinging with constant warnings. On instinct, he felt for his twin energon blades. He couldn't access them and his subspace was offline. The pinging screamed at him. Virus! He couldn't access his subspace, an therefore, his weapons. But he should still be able to use his blades, but he couldn't get to them. An emptiness tore through him.

Sunny! Desperately groping through the bond, he could tell his twin was still offline and a herse away. He had to get to him.

Quickly, Sideswipe shot onto his wheels, only to smack his helm against a thick tree. Its bark sprayed as he scraped against it. Sideswipe glared at the offending object. Surprise over took his annoyed features. What was he doing surrounded by trees? He combed through his recent memory banks.

They were chasing after some humans, was he knocked out? That would be embarrassing. Wait. Where was Rin? Sideswipe could remember seeing her on one of the helicopters at some point, but he lost sight of her for some reason. Was she alright?

Sideswipe felt worry for the little femme. She was already injured, due to the training incident, she was not recovered enough to enter a fight. At that moment, he wished more than anything he could access her comm link, but even his own was disabled due to some virus his systems were warning him about. He had no access to scanners, subspace (and therefore weapons), or comm links. Once Sunny woke, they would be able to use their bond, but aside from that, he was basically alone in one of the planet's forests.

He needed to find his twin, once he and Sunny were reunited, everything would be better. The woods were thick and where there weren't large trees, there was a spattering of various plants that made the ground uneven under his wheels. Walking through the narrow spaces was difficult, but he managed to make it. His wheeled feet protested walking, if his subsystems were online, he would adjust his form to accommodate the boot-like foot he used to have or adjust his wheels for off-roading, but he would have to make do with what he had.

Sideswipe's internal scanners continued to frantically ping him and he pushed all the warnings and notifications aside. He knew something was fragging wrong! Trudging through the forest, he kept an optic out for any potential threat, human or even a possible 'con. A shape swooped over-helm, squawking. Caught off guard, he raised his forearms, prepared to take on an assault. Instead, what turned out to be a bird, continued to fly through the trees.

Sideswipe calmed a bit as dry humor hit him. There he was acting like a scared sparkling just because his scanners left him blind. One third of their team operated just fine without scanners and minimal weapons, and she was soft and fleshy. There was little this planet could offer that would easily offline a cybertronian.

He refocused himself and continued venturing towards where he knew Sunny would be. The yellow mech would not be happy when he woke. Even Sideswipe felt uncomfortable with the wet earth clinging to his frame from where he was laying. If Sunny's subspace was also offline, we would be unable to obtain any of his cleaning supplies. That would not be pretty.

As if on que, he felt the ebbs of consciousness return to his other half. Sideswipe considered reaching out to his twin to warn his about what he was waking up to. However, considering the only breakable things around his twin would be some trees, he decided to let him come to such conclusions on his own.

Seconds ticked by as Sunny fully woke. His side of the bond was filled with confusion and mild panic, much like what Sideswipe initially felt. It did not take long for it to morph into burning rage. It lashed out, nearly pulling Sideswipe in. At that point, he had to step in before Sunny lost it.

:Sunny! Calm down!: Sideswipe sent calming waves through the bond.

:Don't call me that, fragger!: Despite his response, Sideswipe could feel Sunny regain some control. :What's your status? My scanners are on the fritz.: His growl vibrated through the bond.

:Same here, but I've got damage. Can't transform or subspace.: He tried to lay it out as casually as possible, knowing how Sunstreaker would react with his twin in a weakened state. :Are you operational?: Sideswipe also sent a data package with the events, after Sunny had run off, that led to him going into stasis lock.

:Frag!:

:I'll take that as a 'no'.:

:I can transform, but that's about it.: he reported.

Sideswipe was worried. The human knew to shoot for his t-cogs. That way they could outrun and outgun the Cybertronians. Although, with them unconscious, they could have had their way with them. Sideswipe had heard Silas's plan to dissect them. Perhaps the squishy took care of it. :Did the humans take you down? Are you sure you're undamaged?: Sideswipe sent his worries over the bond.

:I'm fine.: Sunny, much too Sideswipe's amusement, sounded rather embarrassed. :I was gonna crush those fraggers to paste when I fell into stasis lock for a systems reboot.:

At least Mech hadn't seemed to take advantage of his brother's state. Sunny must have done a lot of damage to their numbers. :Is Rin near you? I lost her after I got hit.:

:I can't see the squishy.: Sideswipe could hear the near sigh on Sunny's part. :I'm heading to you.:

:Gotcha.:

Sideswipe felt better knowing he'd be reunited with his twin soon. Even with Sunny's constant complaining about how dirty it was and what he'd do to 'Colonel Fleshy' when he got his servos on him. The silver mech was more worried about their partner. Nevertheless, he sent calming waves with hints of amusement towards his twin as they got closer. Eventually, the sunlight disappeared right when Sideswipe could hear Sunny's pede steps in the distance. Relief flooded his spark when his optics met the with the pale blue of his brother's. At least they were together.


	16. Chapter 16

**Here it is, a little latter than I anticipated, but an extra update for all you wonderful reviewers! Speaking of which, thanks to Edges05, SkyenhaMarisa, SwordOfTheJedi, Ratchet'sGirl1. and shelby20125!**

 **Now, without further ado...**

Chapter 16

Erin fully awoke as a dim light shone through the canopy overhead. She never fully fell asleep, needing to be ready to defend herself at all times. The fire beside her was smoldering, a few small embers still shined in the black soot. An odd chill hit her, forcing her to shiver. She rubbed her hands together, intense heat emanating off them. Lifting one shaking hand to her forehead, she felt waves of heat greet the clammy skin. She was getting sick, fast.

Standing took more effort than she thought should be necessary. Walking would be even more difficult. However, even her clouded mind knew staying put was too dangerous. Erin stomped out the last of the embers and followed the brook. Her bruises and scrapes screamed in protest while the rest of her body called for her to lay down and give up. She felt like a wreck. The purplish marks on her left were manageable. The scrape, however, appeared to have reopened. A small trickle of blood dripped down her right arm and back, mixing with the fresh wounds there. Dirt clung to the exposed flesh. She'd have to sanitize it somehow. If only her head was clear enough to figure out how. She didn't have a medical kit. A stupid mistake.

Carefully trekking forward, she kept an eye out for friends and foes. Hours ticked by as she continued her unstable walk. There were no signs of the enemy, although the blazing light nearly blinded her from part of her path.

Was the sun really that bright? Her head was swimming and her eyes stung from the light and air. Was that the sun? Why was it on the path? Shouldn't it be in the sky?

Erin physically slapped herself, the new found pain snapping her back to reality. It was the sunrise, she was walking towards it. The map she studied showed twin lakes eastward of the hidden bunker.

Continuing onwards, her confused mind tried to plot out the distance between the bunker and lakes. Could she crossed such a distance in a couple of days? How long had she been walking? The search for answers kept her mind on task. As long as she stayed alert, she would survive.

At that point, her hearing was the best sense she had. It remained sharp, so she put most of her focus on that. There was something, off to the left. She could hear it getting louder. It was an uneven sound, unlike a machine. It was too loud for an animal. She could hear branches cracking and bushes being pushed, or simply stepped on. A stealth team would not make so much noise.

She couldn't help but smile was she heard a telltale, "Frag!". The twins.

* * *

Starscream gracefully soared through the sky. How he pitied the lower life forms that roamed the ground. Flight was a true sign of preeminence. The fact that the autobots could not perform such a feat proved that decepticons were innately superior. But even beings such as him had to occasionally stoop to lower levels, for tactical reasons.

Had it not been for the humans, Megaton would not have been destroyed and his living brethren would not be in hiding. While their very existence infuriated the seeker, if working with these organics provided the autobots with such an advantage, Starscream saw it fitting to form his own alliances.

Spotting his destination, Starscream swooped down, only decelerating slightly as the earth quickly approached. The fall was always more exhilarating with speed. At the last moment, he transformed and landed with grace, power, and precision. Unfortunately, his ever stoned faced associate looked less than impressed.

"Well Silas," he drawled out the organic's name, wanting to spit at the taste of it in his mouth, "how did the job go?"

The human looked directly into his optics, no semblance of fear. "The mission was a failure." He stated, voice offering no remorse.

"What?" Starscream's wings dropped momentarily before shooting back up, tight behind his helm. "What am I supposed to tell that maniac hockwave now?" He visibly shivered at the thought.

"Setbacks such as these have little effect on Mech. We have the resources for other means of capture." He replied in what Starscream took as a defiant tone.

"And what about that little ace you were talking about?" He mocked the human, "Didn't I say a human femme would be unreliable, hmm?"

"The girl wouldn't take the bait. It seems she'd loyal to N.E.S.T." Again, the man didn't even flinch at Starscream's taunting. It was a bit unnerving.

"Ugh. Sounds like an autobot." Would he never get any relief from the autobot-human alliance? "Tell me, Silas, where are the twins now?"

"We lost track of them outside the temporary operations bunker. The forest is too dense for an attack force to hunt them down. Although, we had commandeered their transport before the start of the fight. And the silver one received damage that likely affected his t-cog." He raised his brow, "They will likely be on foot, if _you_ want to strike."

The seeker tapped his pede in frustration. "Those infernal twins are always strongest when backed into a corner. Catching them by surprise is the best and perhaps only option."

"Then they'll likely be returning to their base once they can call for support."

"No doubt knowing of your treachery against them. Such a troubling position to be in." Watching others' misfortunes was one of Starscream's greatest entertainments. Seeing Silas fail in the wake of his past blunder, was especially delightful, for the moment at least.

"None of this would have happened had you provided a live specimen." Silas reminded him.

"Arcee was a tough fighter." Starscream paused to regain control over his voice which momentarily took on an adolescent-like screeching quality. "It was either terminate or let her escape. And with my decision, it wasn't a complete loss. You still got your research subject. And you will get two more, to share with soundwave of course."

"Why don't you just provide one of your underlings?" Apparently Silas had been listening when Starscream bragged of the forces of decepticon warriors under his command. At the time he acted like he couldn't care less.

"You could have shockwave, it you could get too him." He muttered. Really, he would be better off without the scientist, but he was forced to work with him. Mech's researchers were able to figure out a way to process earth's fossil fuels to energon. They also had the resources to obtain the necessary materials without alerting human authorities, something the decepticons lacked. But in order to make the process more efficient, they needed to dissect a live cybertronian to study the way energy it converted in their systems. Thus, the attempt on Arcee. But even though the femme terminated prematurely, her husk was still used for mech's research. Soundwave was brought into the fold to exchange weapon designs to keep the deal with Mech alive. But he wanted the twin autobots for his own research. Starscream was stuck trying to satisfy both parties in order to get the vital lifeblood of his race. Without the energon, he couldn't survive, let alone take over as supreme commander and eliminate the autobot survivors.

"Capturing a live autobot is our main priority." Silas stated, "Taking those two in particular would be a bonus for mech. If you want your energon supplies to continue, I suggest you use the forces under your command to get what we want."

"My legion of warriors are scattered among the stars, for the moment. Although, I have made contact with some of the most powerful beasts that resided on Cybertron. They will arrive soon enough." He grinned, already imagining the energonshed to come.

"They better."

* * *

Finding the twins was a lucky shot, too lucky. She knew better than to be so underprepared. The promise of an simple job eased her into a feeling of security. Not to mention her misplaced overconfidence.

Sideswipe seemed overjoyed to see Erin. That was quickly replaced by concern over her deteriorated condition. While she didn't have a mirror to see herself in, his faceplates painted a pretty clear picture. Erin tried to assure him that she would look better once she got cleaned up, but admitted that she was coming down with a fever.

Her explanations did not satisfy the mech however, as his hands hovered near her, ready to catch the soldier should she pass out. "Are you sure sweetspark?" he asked, voice full of concern. Sunstreaker scoffed at the mech's tone.

"I'm fine." She tried to reassure him. "I've been through worse before. Now, tell me about your status, and have you commed base yet?"

Sideswipe fidgeted. "Uh, well, you see,"

Sunstreaker interjected, "Let's just say our situation is a pile of scrap."

Erin was too weak to come up with any kind of witty response so she just grumbled, "Care to elaborate?"

Bright blue optics stared her down. His posture may have been able to hide the mech's weariness, but his faceplates could not. He snarled, "Our non-vital systems are offline. Comm links, scanners, and Sides' weapons and transformation, alt-mode, and subspace, it's all scrap!"

Ignoring his tone, she pressed him, "Can you access the internet?"

"No." Sideswipe sighed, perhaps disappointed for other reasons that Erin would be.

"Navigation?" She continued. Knowing their exact status would help her come up with a plan.

"Don't you get it, squishy?" Sunstreaker snarled, "Everything is offline! If you don't see it, we can't use it!"

Erin tried to steady her own breath. Enraging the yellow mech would not help their situation. "I don't mean to push, I just want to know what we have to work with. This forest is big, but we shouldn't be more than fifty miles out from a main road. We can follow the water eastwards. The map I studied showed several possible escape routes in that direction. If we walk, we'll get there in a few days. From there the two of us can drive to a camp or store where I could borrow a phone."

"I am not driving you anywhere, squishy." Sunstreaker glowered down at the woman, cutting her apart with his optics.

"You will if you want to get out of here." She challenged, trying her best to stand tall under his intense glare. "If Sideswipe can't transform, then you'll have to do it."

"We'll see." the mech huffed but said nothing more.

Deciding their argument was over for the moment, Erin moved on to the matter at hand. "Let's go, we're burning daylight just standing here."

She led them onward. The trip wasn't exactly stealthy. They had to move slowly through the trees, partially because of the 'bots' bulk and also partly because of Erin's subdued strength.

"I can carry you."

Erin glanced up to Sideswipe, his faceplates full of concern. "I'm fine, besides, I can move around more easily than you can."

The mech looked less than convinced. "I don't need scanners to see you're sick. Your face is pale and you're leaking all over your skin." His pede moved ahead of her, to block her path.

"I'll be fine, Sideswipe." She sighed, her head aching.

"I promise I won't drop you." He chipped in.

"I'm not scared of being dropped. And I'm not being carried, end of discussion." Erin trudged forward a bit to get some breathing space.

She half expected Sideswipe to scoop her up anyway. Instead, he respectfully let her go. It was odd behavior coming from him. Erin did not dwell on it for too long, focusing more on her surroundings, trying to detect danger. Ideally, she should stay between the two 'bots, or actually be carried by one. She would be safer from any Mech soldiers. Although, putting the issue of their height aside, Sideswipe's trouble walking through the forest on his wheels had Erin concerned. And being in Sunstreaker's arms sounded riskier than cliff diving into a puddle.

As the light of the day once again ebbed, Erin found herself facing the prospect of either continuing on or sleeping for the night. The topic had never really came up between them. In fact, they were mostly silent. It wasn't a much of a tactical advantage, considering the ruckus her partners were causing, but it gave them each time to think. Unfortunately, her thoughts were not on the mission. It must have been the fever messing with her mind, but she was somewhat distracted. The twins plagued her thoughts. She was, to be honest, rather cold towards them. They worked together because it was their job. She went along with Sideswipe's socializing antics, but only on a whim. She almost felt guilty for the way she treated them. And Sunstreaker, yes he was an ass, but his apology a couple of days prior completely caught Erin by surprise. Perhaps he did hold some level of respect for her. Although, whenever she started coughing, her lungs feeling as if they were in a vice, he would give her a disgusted look. So he probably didn't respect her much as an organic, but a soldier at the very least.

A sudden movement caused Erin to instinctively reach for her e-blade. In a swift motion, she sent it flying ten feet away towards the base of a tree. A small squeak announced her failed shot as a small brown form fled the scene. Her aim was off. She was deteriorating.

"What the frag was that?" Sunstreaker questioned, disgust apparent on his faceplates.

"Did you have to try to kill it?" Sideswipe asked, clearly seeing what she had been aiming for. A flicker of pity shone in his optics as he stared down the path the rabbit had fled on.

"I didn't know you were such an animal lover." Erin commented as she retrieved her weapon.

Sideswipe's mood seemed to lighten as he winked at her. "I'm a lover of many animals, sweetspark."

Sunstreaker scoffed, seeing Erin's unimpressed expression. "Even I know humans don't like to be called animals, fragger." He crossed his arms in a teasing way and almost grinned smugly at his brother.

Wait. Sunstreaker was judging the quality of the flirting itself? What happened to his hatred of interspecies fraternization? Erin had grown to look forward to his snappy comments! And she was too dilutional to comprehend all of what she just heard.

"It could have been food." Erin explained, sounding more rational than the level her mind was operating at. "Humans can go a while without nourishment, but I'm already down on my strength." She admitted grimly, waiting for an insult from Sunstreaker.

It didn't come. Instead, Sideswipe jumped back to his full height and took a quick step back. "What? You were going to _consume_ it, just like that?"

"Yes?" Was that odd?

"That's fraggin' foul, squishy." Sunstreaker scrunched his nasal plates.

"Humans eat other animals." Erin shrugged.

Sideswipe muttered, "So you would just kill a defenseless creature." Her looked down at his wheeled pedes, not meeting her gaze.

Oh. _Oh._ The sorrow in his optics was genuine. She wasn't looking at the crazed warrior itching to shed energon. In front of her, was a different side of Sideswipe. The kind that thought it was wrong to harm those who couldn't protect themselves. He really did have an autobot's spark.

"Look, Sideswipe." She tried to placate, "There is a cultural difference you need to keep in mind. Earth is full of predators that consume prey. That's just how we're made." She substituted the last word over born for the mech's benefit. "Besides, it's not like I would have killed it for fun. To humans, it is considered disrespectful to kill a creature and leave its body. By consuming it or using the body for other things such as clothing which provide warmth, it gives a purpose to its death. We humans consider that to be respectful. Also, it wasn't exactly defenseless," she continued, "animals evolve with different defense mechanisms. For rabbits, speed is one of their greatest defenses. That's how it got away. Armor and weapons are not the only tools there are."

The silver mech looked less than convinced, but he let it drop. Humans and Cybertronians were, in fact, very different species. They would have to learn to live with those differences if they wanted to get along as a team.

She sighed as another chill wracked her body. She wasn't going to last much longer. "Do you think you guys could start a fire?" She asked mostly Sunstreaker who might have the tools necessary, considering Sideswipe was nearly out of commission.

He snorted, "What do I look like, a fire starter?"

Sideswipe, seeming to bounce back from the morbid discussion, prodded his brother. "Come on Sunny, just use your cannon, it'll only take a second."

"Don't call me that." he barked as his hand transformed into the very weapon he aimed at Erin so often during their training sessions. He pointed it at the base of a fallen tree. Within a second, splinters were flying through the air and a small flame had erupted from the chaos. "There, you have a fire. Happy, squishy?"

Erin's head spun from the sound of the blast, her mind was getting weaker. She looked down at her hand, it blurred and doubled in her sight. Her body felt heavy. She needed some rest. She'd be better after some sleep. Right?

A sudden scraping sound, followed by a crash shook the ground under Erin and she stumbled to the side, nearly falling on the pitiful fire Sunstreaker had started.

She looked over to the prone form of Sideswipe. "Did… he just..."

Sunstreaker's dark laughter burst through the canopy, scaring off what few animals were brave enough to venture within earshot of the 'bots. "Ha, serves the fragger right!" He quirked an optic ridge at his unconscious twin. "He's been holding off this system defrag ever since he woke up yesterday. Looks like his CPU decided to take care of things for him."

"Well at least he isn't dead." Erin muttered.

"Yes," Sunstreaker grinned, "at least that. He'll be fine. He may even fight off that virus those squishies infected us with."

"Let's hope so." She muttered then to Sunstreaker, "Do you need to do that, uh, defrag thing as well?"

"No. Already done." Sunstreaker snapped at her.

Catching the hint, Erin decided to back off and tend to the fire before it went out. Sunstreaker probably wouldn't be willing to help her with another one.

* * *

Sideswipe onlined, systems once again flashing with errors, perhaps fewer this time, though. He pushed them all away and sat up. The feeling of soil creeping up through the crevasses in his armor made him shudder.

"Welcome back to the land of the living."

Sideswipe looked around to see Rin sitting a few feet in front of a small fire. Her face was even paler. He attempted and failed to scan her, his systems were still fragged. Her eyes looked shallow and dark and she leaned dangerously close to simply falling over. Something was definitely off with her, and it wasn't just exhaustion.

"Hey," the femme managed to cough out, "you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He replied, focusing more on her ailing form. Rin wasn't the kind of femme to ask for help, but he knew she needed some. What he didn't know was what he should be doing. He still didn't have the internet so searching for answers was out of the question.

Sideswipe could feel Sunny's optics on him. He turned to see his twin settled right near where his helm had been. Sunny always watched his back. Sideswipe could feel hints of concern and amusement coming from his twin, but his faceplates displayed nothing.

"That was some show you put on." His twin growled. "You gonna glitch if we see Mech again?" he teased.

"Pay no mind to him" Rin added, coughing between pauses, "he was worried half to death, coddling you like a mother hen. Well, after he stopped laughing of course."

"Shut it squishy!" the yellow mech snapped.

Rin laughed weakly. Even in her current state, it sounded musical. It reminded him of when she sang for them in the brig. It was odd, but at that moment, Sideswipe would have rather been back there than in their current situation.

"What's so funny?" Sunny growled back.

"Nothing," she shook her head, "You just remind me of someone." He words started to slur a bit, "she was aggressively protective, just like you..." She became increasingly quiet until Sideswipe had to strain his audio receptors to hear.

Rin blinked tiredly as her body slouched forward, like a sparkling fighting off recharge. Only Sideswipe knew it was something more severe. The femme fell over and curled into a tight ball, no longer able to fight off the illness that afflicted her. Sideswipe leapt forward and prodded the femme, hoping to stir her. Her breathing was shallow and ragged and a clear line of sweat formed on her forehead.

"Sunny! She's sick." Sideswipe made no attempt to hide his concern over their bond.

He picked up her limp body, noting that dots of moisture also formed across her chest. She felt hotter than humans normally got, he thought it was called being feverish. He curled her close to his body, wracking his processor over what to do for her. He tried and again failed to scan her. His optics caught how her paleness accentuated the bruising marring her frame. The injury on her shoulder was crusted with blood, though some of it still shining and fresh. Moving her into his other arm, Sideswipe raised his freed servo and saw fresh blood that was leaking from her back.

"Do you think it's her injury?" he frantically asked his twin. "When Hatchet was checking her out, he said she needed to keep it from getting infected. Isn't that some kind of sickness?"

"How should I know?" He shot back, "I'm not a human medic." Sunny had stood and was peering over his twin's shoulder.

"What about the food? She said she needed it." He suggested, desperate to find the cause of her ailment.

Sunny shook his helm. "She was getting sick before then, remember?"

"It may make her better, though." He looked around frantically. "What do we do?"

"I don't know!" Sunny threw his servos in the air, frustrated with the situation. "Just… give me a moment!" It was not like Sunny to retreat, but he turned and walked off away from his twin and the fire that lighted the area..

"Sunny! Where are you going?" Sideswipe demanded, panic fully setting in. Two helms were better than one, he couldn't take care of her alone.

"Away!" he shot back, leaving his twin abandoned.

Sideswipe gave up on his brother, focusing more on the woman cradled in his arm. She would not wake, regardless of his prodding and begging. They needed to get her to Hatchet, but they were stuck in the fragging forest, all because he and his twin get their afts handed to them by organics! Sideswipe seethed at himself. And Erin was paying the price for their mistakes.

He felt so helpless, cradling the tiny human in his arms. It was odd, caring for such a small creature, but Sideswipe genuinely did not want anything bad to happen to his little human. He wanted to see her standing strong again. He wanted to watch her spar with mechs and humans alike, never backing down from a fight. Sparring like her was almost like a dance. A show, using their bodies to communicate a message. It was beautiful, both watching and working with her. He wanted to play video games with her, and see how determination never leaves her face, even after the fifteenth time her character dies. He wanted to hear Sunny snark at her and see how she just grins back at him. Sideswipe usually had no qualms about going on a mission and after watching so many 'bots offline, he almost became numb to it, at least with Sunny's help. But now both of them faced the reality of their partner being out of commission, and it scared both of them. It was scary, having a friend.

Sideswipe curled down, providing an effective wind barrier for Rin. He couldn't even transform to protect her from the elements, but he could at least do a little. All he could do otherwise was wait and hope she woke up.

Sunny eventually returned, walking with purpose towards Sideswipe. He thrust a servo forward. "Here." He stated plainly, looking away from his twin and teammate.

Sideswipe looked at the small roundish objects nestled in the mech's servo. They appeared to be around four inches in diameter and light green in color. "Are those apples?" Sideswipe made no effort to hide his shock. "Sunny-"

"Don't call me that!" He interrupted. "Just, give them to the squishy already."

Sideswipe gratefully took one and held it carefully between his fingers, offering it to Rin. "Come on, sweetspark. We have food for you." His voice was pleading. "And it's not a live animal, so that's a bonus."

The reward for Sideswipe's efforts was a small moan from the femme. Her eyes blinked weakly but she didn't respond or take the food.

"Just give me that!" Sunny growled as he took the apple back.

The yellow mech settled down, grumbling to himself about dirt and 'organiciness'. Tiny wire-like tendrils of metal separated out of the mech's digit. Sunny typically used them for detailing his artwork, something he hadn't done in a while. He also employed them for… ahem… _fun_ times. They were thin enough to act like knives on the soft fruit. As if he had done it a thousand times before, Sunny peeled each apple into perfect spheres and sliced tiny wedges out of them, ensuring no seeds were left in the fleshy parts. The mech griped about the organic juices that flowed down his servos as he worked, but he didn't stop until all ten apples were prepared. Perhaps it was a bit too much for the one femme, but the mech wouldn't want to take another trip to find more apples, so he probably erred on the side of over preparedness.

Sideswipe reached a servo out for the small pile of fruit, but instead, Sunny used the metal tendrils to pick up the slices and present them to Rin, still cradle in Sideswipe's arm.

Exhausted, Rin only opened her mouth enough to receive the food after the moist fruit touched her lips. She weakly managed to chew on each piece, straining as she swallowed. The mere act of eating seemed to further drain her. Nonetheless, Sunny continued to feed her, slowly.

Nobot said anything. As the night fell, only the smoldering fire and their blue optics lit Rin's small form.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello! I hope you're all enjoying to story so far. To be honest, this forest 'arc' was really hard to write, so I may make some small edits sometime in the future. I've also decided to change the rating to M for future chapters that I've planned, there will be warnings when we reach that part of the story line.**

 **Thanks to all the readers/favorites/follows. And a special thanks to aquarius89, Edges05, Nevermorea, and Cinematronix for reviewing.**

Erin was mildly aware of her surroundings. The pounding in her head limited her ability to decipher sounds. Light set her corneas ablaze as she cautiously blinked her eyes open. After her vision adjusted, she found herself facing a large silver, something.

"Sideswipe? What happened." Her voice was scratchy at best.

The mech, who was lying across an open space in forest, looked down at Erin. He had her cradled in his arm, held close to his chassis. He smiled, looking relieved. "Sweetspark, you're awake. You got really sick and passed out. How are you feeling now?"

"Better." She replied in a raspy voice. A coughing fit threatened to start, but never came.

She slowly pulled herself up and stepped out of his arm, her shoulder was noticeably numb. Erin's vision swam a little, but she could still see the red veins coming from the wound. She had little doubt there would be puss underneath all the congealed blood. She needed medical attention.

Once she stumbled far enough, Sideswipe sat up, immediately holding a servo near her in case she fell over.

"Thanks," she mumbled, "for taking care of me."

"Don't mention it, sweetspark." Sideswipe gave her a weak smile, his servo flexing slightly.

"Really, don't." Sunstreaker stated from the other side of the small clearing. He sat on a large root system, staring off to nothing.

"Actually, Rin, Sunny did most of the work." Sideswipe gave a sidelong glance to his brother, his smile growing ever so slightly.

"Shut it, fragger." The mech hissed, "And don't call me that!"

"Well, thank you Sunstreaker." Erin was still loopy from the fever so the impact of Mr. Sunshine talking care of her had not quite hit her yet. She looked up to Sideswipe, a wave of reverse vertigo hitting her. "We need to keep moving."

Sideswipe raised to his full height and placed his servos on his hips in an attempt to look authoritative. "You are not walking anywhere, not in your condition."

"We don't have much of a choice." She hissed, mostly because of the aching in her own head. She couldn't hide the weakness in her shaking legs or the paleness of her face, accompanied by her red eyes. Sideswipe would be less than convinced.

"Then let me carry you." Sideswipe all but pleaded, optic ridges furrowing in worry.

"No." Erin replied firmly as she headed forward to their intended destination.

Sunstreaker got to his pedes and took two hard steps towards the soldier. "Do you really think you can keep up like that?" he laughed darkly as his servo gestured to all of her. "Femme, you look like you just crawled out of a smelter."

"Come on," Sideswipe added sweetly, "Don't you trust us?"

Erin was getting the distinct feeling that the twins were getting really skilled at the good cop, bad cop routine. She considered the mech's question. It was not that she didn't trust them. She knew by then that they would not hurt her. Well… at least Sideswipe wouldn't. But the churning weight in her stomach convinced her to stay on the ground.

Sunstreaker, apparently, had other plans. He scooped her up and held her securely in one arm. Thankfully, her throat was too sore to let out the squeak that tried to break through. Her stomach dropped and vision narrowed. Erin tried to get it over with and jump down but Sunstreaker brought his other hand over her, keeping the woman pinned. Without another word, he continued forward, a shocked Sideswipe following his heels.

Essentially stuck in his arm, Erin couldn't help but close her eyes, hoping it would limit the dizziness. There was a very real possibility that, if she were to throw up, Sunstreaker would drop kick her a thousand feet. Unconsciously, she gripped a small crevasse in Sunstreaker's chassis. It helped make her feel slightly more grounded. Slowly, her fear began to wane. The rhythmic pulsing in his chest and the warmth of the hand blanketed over her encouraged her to relax.

She wouldn't fall. If she did, the hand hovering over would catch her. She wouldn't hit the ground. Erin chanted the thought like a mantra.

Her headache eased without the light from which that the servo shielded her. The ebbs of consciousness slowly fell away as she slipped into fevered dreams.

* * *

Erin was rocked from side to side. She sat straight in the hard seat, holding onto the harness over her shoulders to avoid flailing her limbs about. The noise in the space was near deafening; massive engines snarled as they soared through the sky. The dim lights of the place flickered as they banked a hard right.

She sat with her back to one wall, facing the row of trainees on the other side. They all wore the telltale black armor that adorned all members. Only, their faces… what were their faces like? Where were they? Above the neck of the night black gear were featureless visages. No mouths, no eyes. There were slight ridges where their noses should be. The barely present light cast shadows where small indents seemed to be. A black helmet adorned each head, hiding any hair.

Erin looked to her side, the row of faceless trainees continued. At the end was a taller form, two dark green stripes adorned each upper arm of his otherwise black armor. Their trainer was also faceless. She turned her head to the other side, her right… or was it her left? Another black set of gear, only this person had a face. Or was it a mirror? Erin looked into the other form, it was her face, only she never remembered looking so beautiful. The body attached to it leaned protectively close to Erin. Was that really her face? Was she making that expression? Eyeing the faceless row before her with suspicion?

No. There was no mirror. This was her sister. What was her name again? Cora. That seemed right. Her name must have been Cora. She was here now, so everything must be alright. They were stronger together. They had each other's backs.

The instructor stood, a weak mumbling sound, muffled by the stretch of skin over his mouth, came from the man. Automatically, Erin reached down to grab the pack between her legs. It's weight unnoticed in her tight grip. The trainees unbuckled their harnesses and pulled the packs on, adjusting the thick, new harness all pulling the straps tight.

A shrieking noise echoed through the belly of the plane as the instructor opened the side hatch. The black forms began to line up. Without preamble, the instructor grabbed the collar of the nearest trainee and shoved them out of the plane. The second nearest person automatically stepped towards the hatch. This one needed no assistance in jumping out. They continued onward, seconds falling between each jump into the thick blackness.

Eventually, it was Erin's turn. She yearned to hold Cora's hand. The wind whipped her face, pushing and pulling her at the same time. Hesitation was not allowed, she had to jump. Half a second ticked by as she barely had a moment to regard the darkness she would leap into. An insistent nudge came from behind. Cora prompted her forward. 'Just jump before the faceless instructor shoved her out. Do not show weakness.'

Following her sister's silent instructions, Erin bent low and fell through the hatch. A moment of weightlessness carried her behind the plane. She looked up to the receding vehicle. Behind it was a flurry of bright stars bowing to a large yellow moon. Its beams lighted the sky and reflected off the clouds below.

Her momentum shifted downwards, slowly, as the sound of the plane receded. She said goodbye to the disk in the sky and looked down to greet the light clouds. Only their shadows seemed to grow. A second before she met them, their black mouths opened to swallow her up into darkness. Her body finally registered gravity as she was torn out of the sky and thrust through wet blackness.

Barely visible dots of lights wisped away as she was dragged further towards the cold slab of rock called Earth. Desperate, she looked around, not a soul was there. Her sister was gone, the darkness consuming her.

Her form broke through the clouds as Earth reached up to take her. Erin gripped the lever on her harness, pulling with terror. The pack tore open, parachute tumbling out. The second it pulled tight, the line snapped, flying away from Erin half a second later. She pulled the backup parachute. It too snapped, the remaining line slashing across her exposed cheek.

Gravity seemed to shove her down with all its strength. Her mind froze as ice and fire mixed and steamed in her veins. Her stomach flipped and her heart beat in rhythm with the wind whipping her ears. Falling, death called to her from below…

A force hit her from above, shoving her even closer to the earth. The force's arms turned her around to face the sneering black clouds. But below them, was the only face that mattered to her. Determined stubbornness glanced down at Erin's pack. Hands quickly undid one buckle, replacing it around a strap on her own harness. Erin and Cora fell towards the earth, chest to chest, sparing a glance into each other's eyes.

Cora pulled on her parachute. It shot above them like a rocket and quickly expanded to block Erin's view of the cruel sky. The jarring force slowed them. They continued at a weakened decent, Cora holding onto her sister. Erin, chanced a tear-filled glance towards the ground, stomach clenching at the sight. She snapped her eyes shut and hid her face in her twin's bosom. Cora held her close, a silent promise to never let go.

* * *

Awareness returned to Erin more easily than the time before. Her body swayed soothingly. Memory flowed into the forefront he her mind. She was sick. It was patchy, but she could recall the unnatural heat. Her feverish mind was limited by the illness. She hadn't been able to take care of herself. An image flashed behind her eyelids. Sunstreaker.

Erin's eyes shot open as her heartrate accelerated. She was in the air, laying limply in a mech's arms. Only this one was silver.

The mech looked down at her with relieved optics. "Hey sweetspark. How are you feeling?"

"Vertigo." She deadpanned. "Could you put me down."

All forward motion stopped as he knelt down. "Are you sure you can walk on your own?"

"I'll be fine." Her legs were wobbly at first, but she willed herself to stand straight. Erin could feel her strength returning. The fever must have passed. "Where are we?"

"According to google maps, we are a few meters from a body of water called Twin Lakes. We figured if we could sneak you to a camp ground, you could radio for transport."

"You can access the internet?" She questioned.

"Yeah, most of our subsystems are still down, but I got that back after I rebooted."

Her eyes narrowed. That long? "Can't you just hack into Lennox's email or something? He should get a message alert on his phone."

Both mechs froze as they considered her relatively simple solution. Apparently, they had not thought it. So much for the inventive twins.

Sunstreaker growled through his denta, "So we've been trudging through this organic dump for nothing?"

Erin couldn't help it, she weakly laughed.

"What's so funny, squishy?" the yellow mech eyed her darkly, arms crossed.

"Nothing." She shook her head, smile still lighting her face.

Like Ironhide would, the mech harrumphed and looked away. Erin was not sure whether it made him look childish or elderly, but it was amusing nonetheless.

Sideswipe also managed to see the humor in his twin's attitude as he was smiling softly. "Come on, Sunny, it could be worse." He tried to reason.

"How?" the warrior snapped back. "And don't call me that!" he turned back to his brother, interior frame fans audible with pent up heat. "We're stuck on an alien planet, surrounded by organic filth and practically disabled after being attacked by tiny fleshies! How could it get any worse?"

The tide of anger went unnoticed by the silver twin. "We'll be contacted by Lennox soon and have transport back to base. Hatchet will get us fixed up and if anybot gives us smack about being beaten by some humans," he glanced down at his smaller companion, "we'll sic Rin on them. That'll teach 'em." He grinned wildly at her and looked back up to his brother who seemed to have calmed down, probably enjoying the thought of watching Erin kick ass. Violence was his forte after all.

Erin, on the other hand, stared back at Sideswipe incredulously, playing along. "And why would I go along with that?"

He crouched down near her. "To prove humans are stronger than they appear." His grin turned lopsided. "And to defend your mechs' honor."

Ignoring the last comment, Sunstreaker added, "We can't do anything with her 'till she heals up." Erin got the sense one of the two were not fully aware of what their conversation might be implying.

"Then," Sideswipe stood back to his full height, "you'll just have to bash their faceplates in until she's back in fighting condition."

"I'd like that." The yellow mech grinned, already revved to take down any mech with a witty comment against him or his twin.

Sideswipe seemed pleased at the turn in his brother's attitude, if his smile was anything to go by. He paused, looking out among the trees. "And there could be worse places to be stuck." He added.

"Really?" Sunstreaker asked flatly, "Do you not feel the rotting matter in your armor seams?" His entire frame shivered, a few specs of dirt falling from hidden places among his midsection.

"Don't tell me you think this is worse than the Vox mines? Or when we had to hide in the Sea of Rust?" Sideswipe stepped forward to a tree and, with the natural power of a Cybertronian, easily snapped off a thick branch at optic height. "Besides, the view's nice." He dropped the branch and looked through the opening.

Sunstreaker also looked in that direction and seemed to relax. "It's ok, but we're not here for the view."

Erin, being of a smaller stature, couldn't see what they saw, and her view was obstructed by a few large rocks and bushes. All she could see in that general direction was the sky.

Sideswipe, noticing her troubles, bent down and offered a servo. After Erin made no move towards him, didn't give up. "Come on, Rin. Do you really think I would ever drop you?" his voice was sweet and gentle, like he was trying to talk an animal out of hiding. But with falling on her mind, there was no room for her embarrassment or irritation.

Instead, she took a calming breath. There was no reason why she couldn't trust them, after all, they both carried her while she slept. "Just, for a second… ok?" Her voice sounded far meeker than she intended. At least she was able to reason that it was due to the illness that had weakened her.

With the utmost care, Sideswipe gently scooped her into his servos and rose to a full standing height, holding her close against his chassis. Erin's head swam with vertigo and she instinctively groped for something to hang onto, which happened to be the seam right in the middle of Sideswipe's chest plates.

The mech seemed to shiver at the touch. "Uh, Rin, I know we're close and all but…"

Erin fisted her hand around the edge of the armor, feeling small wires at the edges of her fingers. Another shiver alerted the soldier as to what the mech had been implying. Her hand shot back as if it had been burned. "Sorry, I… uh." Another wave of vertigo cause her to clamp her mouth shut and close her eyes, leaning back in against Sideswipe.

The silver mech, on the other hand, sounded fully amused. "You didn't have to stop, it was just getting good." Erin couldn't see it, but she easily imagined him wiggling his optic ridges suggestively. The gaging sound Sunstreaker made only helped to reinforce her theory. "Come on, Rin, there's nothing to be afraid of. Look, the view's much nicer up here."

Taking a deep breath, Erin slowly opened her eyes, only to see metal. Her face was buried against Sideswipe's neck. Her face heated with embarrassment. She really needed to get over this fear if she was to work with these 'bots. Steeling her nerves, Erin turned her gaze towards where Sideswipe had been looking. It really was rather pleasant. There was a small dip in the land, dotted by stones which reflected the sunlight to the underside of the trees. Everything shined brightly with smooth earthy tones. And the sky was a rich blue, dotted with quickly moving ivory white clouds. The 'bots really did get a better view up there.

After a few moments of appreciation, Erin felt a chuckle rumble in Sideswipe's chassis. "I have to say, Rin, I like this skittish side of you. It's cute."

Another wave of embarrassment hit her, almost stronger than the vertigo. "Just, put me down." She tried to sound short and angry, but instead her voice trembled, eliciting another chuckle from the mech. But he did as she requested and set her back onto the solid earth. Once her feet touched the ground, Erin felt her confidence snap back. She stood straight and regained her composed visage.

Sideswipe refocused his attention to Sunstreaker, "I bet it would make a nice painting."

Sunstreaker's optics flashed for a second, before his scowl returned. "Not in the mood." He responded darkly.

Erin's interest was already piqued, though. "Painting?"

Sideswipe smiled widely, "I never mentioned? Sunny's an artist. The best from Cybertron."

"Don't call me that!" Sunstreaker snapped with a bit more venom. "Shut it, fragger."

Erin, ignoring Sunstreaker's outburst, turned towards the mech, "Seriously?"

The warrior didn't even make eye to optic contact with her. "It's none of your business, squishy." he grumbled back to her.

Sideswipe nudged his twin, "Come on Sunny, don't be shy."

"Don't call me that!" he snapped back, not gracing the latter comment with a response.

"Just show her one piece." The silver mech pushed.

"I can't," he rolled his optics in a rather human gesture, "my data pad was corrupted by that virus."

Erin's focus was quickly turned with that admission, "It affected items in your subspace?"

Sideswipe regained focus with the change of conversation. "Yeah, I've never hear of a virus that can do that before. That weapon they hit us with was top of the line advanced."

Erin's eyes wandered as she considered these sudden technological advancements. "Even if Mech studied Arcee's remains, as Silas implied…" she paused, noting how Sideswipe flinched at the blatant statement. She'd forgotten just how dire losing any of their of their kin was for them. Even Sunstreaker looked down at the mention of the two-wheeler. "Nevertheless," she tried to get back on track, "would they be able to develop such a weapon? Knowing the current extent of human technology, it seems unlikely."

Sunstreaker was the first to recover from the dark turn. "You think they're getting help?"

Sideswipe piped in, "From the decepticons."

"It makes sense." Erin replied.

Sunstreaker shook his helm. "No one hates fleshies more than the 'cons, they'd never work with them."

"Even out of desperation?" Erin questioned.

Sideswipe placed a digit against his lip plate in thought. "Perhaps he's a neutral."

"I can't imagine a neutral coming anywhere near either faction." Sunstreaker scoffed, "Besides, no one with that technology would not have been recruited already."

"We need to keep an open mind." Erin reasoned, "Guys like Silas are opportunists. As long as it furthers his own agenda, he could put his pride on the sideline and claim to work for the 'cons, rather than being in a partnership."

Sideswipe nodded, "We need to at least consider the possibility."

His twin looked less than please. "As if we had it bad enough." His arms dropped in exasperation, "We came to this planet to bash 'con helms, not get stuck in fleshy matters."

Erin grinned cynically at him. "And I didn't join the military to fight in an alien war, but that's how life goes."

Sunstreaker returned the expression, having once again calmed. "Touché, squishy."

It took an hour for Lennox to respond, apparently they were trying to find ways to contact them. Sideswipe said he explained Colonel Bishop's double-cross and provided their coordinates and medical conditions. He also assured Erin that, with his programming skill, he could make it so that the message would only open on Lennox's exact device. That way, they should be safe from Silas intercepting the message. When the Captain responded, he said transport was on its way to a civilian airport. There were only so many military personnel with authorization to know of the autobots and the nearest were in Nevada. Still, the trio would have to retrieve a big rig and cargo unit to transport Sideswipe, who still couldn't transform, to the airport. Either that, or wait even longer for aid to find them.

Sunstreaker stood stiffly, optics trained on Erin. His faceplates were impossible to read. "Once we get to the road, I'll drive you to the truck leaser."

Sunstreaker take Erin in his alt-mode? He must really have been desperate to get back to base. Admittingly, he could have made her walk. Transport would not arrive for ten hours, giving Erin eight to retrieve the truck and return. The leasing company was only ten miles away, a distance she could make in a few hours, given her condition.

Sideswipe stayed where he was, hidden, but near the road that would likely be abandoned long enough for him to crawl into the trailer. Erin peeked out from the cover of shrubbery lining the road.

"All clear." She called back to Sunstreaker.

The mech ambled over to the concrete and transformed. An appreciative rev came from his engine. Erin walked up to him, but his passenger door remained closed.

"Sunstreaker." She placed a hand on her still bruised hip. "Can you please let me in?" She did not want to ride with him, but they would both have to deal with it if they wanted to get back home.

"But you're filthy." He grumbled.

She shot back, "So are you." Erin reached for the door handle only for Sunstreaker to suddenly reverse five feet.

"What did you say!" his voice was nearly masked by the heated roar of his engine.

Erin mentally chastised herself for angering the homicidal robot. "Look Sunstreaker," she raised her hands in a placating gesture, "The only way for us to get out of here is for us to get the truck. Humans are slow at covering distance and, last time I checked, Lamborghinis can't drive other vehicles, so we need to work together on this. It'll only be for a little while, ok?" she slowly approached him again. Mindlessly, she added, "I'll make it up to you later."

"A wash."

"What?" Caught off guard, Erin fumbled for a coherent response. "Like, a wash, wash?"

"And a wax." Sunstreaker's tone was demanding and left little room for argument.

"O-ok." This was completely new. He actually wanted her to touch him? "When we get back to base, I'll give you a wash and wax." Her own tone was still disbelieving.

Sunstreaker's door silently opened, showing a black interior, darkened by windows so tinted, she could barely catch the light glowing through. The main source of illumination came from the console, which glowed an intense yellow and reflected off the glossy seats. The overall display was rather impressive and elegant.

She took a step forward, right as Sunstreaker revved his engine, causing her to freeze. "Don't. Touch. Anything." He grit out.

Erin, though not one to be pushed around, refused to answer and instead seated herself. Her hands rested respectfully in her lap as the door slammed shut roughly next to her. After a second of thought, she reached over and grabbed the seatbelt. Sunstreaker growled a warning, but Erin responded with a sharp glare to his center console. "Unless you want squishy oils smeared all over your interior, I'll be using the seatbelt." She stated as she pulled it across her chest. Sunstreaker responded by pulling the strap a bit too tight against her sore ribs.

Suddenly, Erin was crushed against the seat as the Lamborghini shot off. Any scream that might have left her lips was dragged down by sheer force. Erin could not see the scenery passing, in the dark cabin, only the minute flickers of light periodically being blocked by trees and hills. The roar of the engine and the sounds of Sunstreaker's hood slicing through the air cut out any other noise.

For some reason, Erin did not feel as weary around the mech as she normally did. She was still scared shit out of her mind, but by then that was a normal state of things. Something about the air around the 'bot was different. She settled herself against the seat which felt much stiffer than Sideswipe's. Erin could have sworn she remembered the road being covered in potholes and uneven patches of concrete repairs. But the drive was so smooth, it was as if they were gliding. The growl of Sunstreaker's engine was almost musical as he shot down the road. It was different from how it normally sounded, although before she had only ever heard it from the outside. But still, the ferocity wasn't quite there.

"Sunstreaker," Erin vocally prodded, straining her voice to be heard over the roaring engine. She continued after receiving no response, "You wouldn't happen to just be showing off right now, would you?" She cracked a sly smile.

The vehicle suddenly decelerated, crushing Erin's still tender robs against the seat belt. "O-Of course not!" Sunstreaker's engine stuttered slightly before continuing at a far more subdued pace, "Can it, squishy."

Wisely, Erin did not push her luck with a response, but a small smile still played on her lips. It seemed that something really had gotten through to the mech. So it appeared the apology back at the brig wasn't just a fluke after all. Closing her eyes, she allowed her body to relax. The seat was hard and the strap across her made her wounds ache, but she smiled nonetheless. It seemed that the big, rough 'bot wasn't all animosity after all.

When they arrived at the truck rental facility, Erin was left with the awkward situation of climbing out of a dirty yellow Lamborghini, whilst covered in blood, and getting a big rig. Lennox had told her the rental was already payed for, but the men were not informed of the situation being military related. She just needed to pick up the keys. If these truckers suspected a military skirmish in the area, the news would be all over it and reporters might try to comb the area for a scoop before government agents could gather intel on Mech activities. She needed to play this right.

"Sunstreaker, I'm sorry about this, but I have to leave my pants and shoes with you." Erin quickly tried to explain as she used her blade to cut a sloppy 'V' into the front of her shirt.

"What! Why the frag do you think I would let you do that?" he seethed, voice booming through the cabin. The vehicle's entire frame shook with revulsion.

Erin sighed as she tried to brush out her hair with her hands. "Look, if these guys find out I'm military, the media will be all over this. That means I need to hide most of my uniform. Once I get the keys, I'll grab the stuff. I'm sure you can last a couple more minutes." She then tore the sides of her shirt and tied the bottom ends back together, making it look like a home cut sports shirt. Wearing a sports bra helped finish the look. She tore off the pants, trying not to allow the heat of embarrassment color her cheeks. Stripping while sitting inside of one's alien partner is rather awkward. Underneath her pants, as always, she wore spandex shorts, which would be perfect for this disguise.

"No! No, no, no! Stop it! You are getting your oils all over my interior! So help me Primus, I will crush you!" The car tilted violently to the side as the door opened, forcing Erin out and onto the ground. Her aching wounds paired with the fresh scrape marks she received.

"Damn it, Sunstreaker!" She quickly tried to hide from view of the windows where the employees could no doubt be watching. "You can't blow our cover like that! What kind of 'robot in disguise' are you?"

"The kind that will not stand for a fleshy rolling around in my interior!" he hissed back. His engine revved threateningly, showing that, if she didn't play her cards right, he might just run her over.

"All right." She tried to calm him down while dealing with her clothing, trying to keep it in a single pile. She glanced over his hood and, saw two men staring through the windows. She darted back down, hoping she hadn't been spotted. She'll be damned if she lets their cover be blown because of the twenty foot child next to her. "Just stay here and don't move. Is it acceptable that I hide the clothes behind you so our audience over there doesn't see it? They won't be touching you."

Sunstreaker made a sound akin to sighing. "Just, hurry up." He replied in a more subdued tone. Honestly, he sounded tired, and Erin couldn't blame him.

"Don't worry," she whispered, "We'll all be home soon."

Erin placed her jacket around her shoulders, stood, and wiped her hands off on her shirt, making it look as if she had been working on the tire while she had been crouched over the vehicle. She could see the spectators approaching her. Before they could reach Sunstreaker, she moved around him and met them halfway. Begrudgingly, she put on her best dumb smile and waved weakly at them.

Using her best spoiled girl accent, she greeted them. "Hi, um, like, daddy said he contacted you about renting a truck for me." She played with her hair and pretended to be chewing gum.

"Ma'am." One of the men approached her with a worried look in his eyes, "are you all right? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

Erin made sure to add shrill inflections in her voice. "Oh, no. I'm sorry I, like, look like such a mess. This is, like, so embarrassing." She made no effort to look embarrassed, instead she rolled her eyes like a spoiled brat. "It's not that bad. I was, like, on my way back from a volley ball match, you know, like, racing, and my boyfriend, like, crashed into me when there was, like, a deer on the road. My car was, like, totally wrecked so we need to take it back to daddy's shop in Cali." She was also grateful, for once, Sunstreaker was with her instead of Sideswipe. The silver mech would never let her live this down.

"Is your friend ok?" the second man, who was rather tall and gauntly, asked.

"Yeah, he's ok, he's, like, military and stuff so he's super tough." She smiled and showed off the jacket over her shoulders, as if her 'boyfriend' had placed it there. It served as a good prop to cast a shadow over the bruising on her sides, making them unnoticeable.

It took some sweet talking, but Erin eventually had them convinced to give her the keys. 'Daddy' had provided an impressive payment, which was enough to bribe the men to give her the truck without even really looking at her license. When the tall man had in in his hand, his eyes glazed over it, before focusing back on Erin's scantily clad form. It was also enough money to keep them "hush, hush" over the entire event.

Once she had the truck, she ran around Sunstreaker, grabbed her extra clothes, and climbed back into his cab, not without protest. She managed to convince him to drive into the back of the trailer so she could drive him out of view. A mile down the road, she let him back out. Erin followed Sunstreaker back to where they would meet Sideswipe. She was fortunate that the yellow mech didn't shoot off on his own like she suspected he would, considering she didn't know the way back. By the time they met up with the silver twin, night had fallen. As expected, there was no traffic on the road, which was fortunate because Sideswipe literally leaped out of the forest. Apparently, he was too impatient to wait. Why Erin expected anything different, she did not know.

Sideswipe regarded Erin, who had left her loose clothing in the truck's cab. "You two seem to have gotten off well." He smiled slyly.

Sunstreaker transformed, his optics providing just enough light to make out his facial features and chest plates. "What's that supposed to mean?" he growled.

The silver mech pointed at Erin, "You leave with her, then return her half naked with torn clothes" his optic ridges waggled suggestively, "Sunny, I didn't think you had it in you."

The yellow front liner roared as he leaped at his brother, tackling him to the ground. Erin stood off to the side, face slightly reddened by the unexpected comment, watching as Sunstreaker punched his laughing twin. It didn't look like he was doing any real damage, so Erin decided not to intervene. Sideswipe seemed to be enjoying himself, even though he was receiving quite the beating. Within a few minutes, the pair were done with their sibling squabble and Sunstreaker stalked off a few yards to mutter to himself.

Unfortunately, while Sideswipe was eager at first, upon actually seeing his mode of transportation, he became suborn like a child. Apparently, when he heard her say that he would be moved in a trailer, he did not think he would be moved in a trailer. So there Erin was, out on an open highway, with one giant alien robot watching her try to coax another into his ride. He sounded like Sunstreaker, complaining about how grimy it would be. The yellow mech had far less patience and tried to forcibly stuff his twin into the trailer. Fearing that their scuffle would destroy their mode of transportation, Ein pulled out her pistol and shot out two low burst which dinged against each twin. She then scolded both of them. Sideswipe stared down at the ground in at least a semblance of humility. Sunstreaker crossed his arms and looked off to the side, practically throwing a fit. At least he held himself in check, rather than trying to step on her. Eventually, Sideswipe was loaded into the trailer and the group drove off to the airstrip. They had a long flight ahead of them, after which they would likely go through several hours of medical checks and debriefings. Not much to look forward to, but at least the worst of it was over.

Although, she would have to wash Sunstreaker soon.

Right when they reached the airport, medical personnel were on the scene, checking over Erin. The mech's were given the all clear to walk around. Sideswipe stretched gratefully once he was free of his confines, but his happy expression fell when he saw their plane.

"Great, more cramped spaces." He mumbled about soreness in his struts and how he just wanted to get all four of his wheels moving again.

"Give it a rest." Sunstreaker grumbled, "At least we're going to be back in the wash racks soon." He was surprisingly calm, considering his usual temperament. His focus turned more towards Erin, face taking on amused features, "Besides, we've gotta get her home to 'daddy'." He mocked.

She had a feeling it would take her a long time to live that down.


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello! I'm sorry if this chapter seems a bit incomplete, the second half wasn't quite finished and didn't want to make you guys wait.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **A special thanks to my wonderful reviewers; (Guest), (Guest), ladybug1995, CherryVanillaCoke, Edges05, and RatchetsGirl1**

Chapter 18

At the halfway point of their return trip, the plane landed at an airstrip where they were met by Ratchet and two base medics. The team received the necessary immediate care before they finished the final leg to Diego Garcia. Sunstreaker was fine, except for some scrapes from bullets. Ratchet was able to combat the virus in their systems, making him fully operational again. Sideswipe's t-cog was malfunctioning due to shrapnel. He'd need surgery once they got back to base, but Ratchet assured him that the overall damage was minor and he'd be able to transform within 36 hours of the operation. Sunstreaker did not look pleased knowing his twin would be unarmed for the time being. The yellow mech wordlessly unsubspaced a hand held pistol, which Erin did not even know he had, and shoved it in his twin's servos. Even among allies, he was over protective. The sight made Erin smile.

Her own injuries would take longer to heal. She had three severely bruised ribs, her shoulder was infected, and she had a concussion. The cuts on her back would not take long to heal. Although, there were several large splinters and pebbles embedded in her skin. Having them removed was not fun for Erin or the human medics. The former because it hurt like hell, and the latter because Sideswipe, lie a worrisome mother hen, watched intently to make sure his partner was alright. The medics, who had previously had only seen the 'bots from a distance, seemed uncomfortable with one pacing behind them.

Ratchet, of course, also checked in on Erin after he was done with the twins. He made her chug two bottles of water before he would lessen his steely glare. Meanwhile, the two human medics sanitized her shoulder. Was it painful? Yes. Did she scream or cry? Of course not. Did she accidentally react poorly and throw a medic over her shoulder when he poked it without warning? Maybe.

When Sunstreaker returned, just in time to watch the man go airborne, he laughed. Not the dark chuckle Erin heard him use on occasion. It was a full, boisterous laugh that rang through the air. It was almost musical. Not yet containing the slip of his mask, he commented to Sideswipe, "You'd think by now everyone would know not to mess with that femme."

After another moment, he finally noticed Erin's wide eyed stare from what she was hearing. "What?" he scowled at her before stomping off to continue his regularly scheduled brooding.

Sideswipe shot Erin a quick wink before following his twin to offer some company.

After Ratchet deemed Erin fit enough to fly, they finished the journey back to base. Of course, Ratchet insisted on waking her every hour to check on her condition. Since she was already a light sleeper, she did not get much rest.

Upon Erin's insistence, she was allowed to go to the human medical facilities to take a shower. Her wound was again sanitized and medicated. She was then removed from the combative duty list for five weeks to allow recovery. However, she would be allowed to preform basic duties after five days.

The night they returned. The three were separately debriefed. Erin had convinced Sideswipe to give her credit for all his kills. So he claimed to act as a shield while she took out the enemy. Erin managed to describe Sunstreaker's assault on the mech agents as necessary defense. There was no way she could take credit for the carnage once an investigation team took record of the evidence. Should mech not have already cleaned it up, it would be clear that neither Erin nor Sideswipe took part in that battle. She had told Sunstreaker and Sideswipe how she would spin the story an could only hope they would follow her lead. She did not care whether spinning the truth was dishonorable, it served their purposes and that was good enough for her.

Prime, Prowl, and Lennox, who led the debriefings, were astonished by Colonel Bishop's betrayal. After Erin stated that he recruited soldiers to N.E.S.T to serve as spies, Prowl began tapping away at his data pad, likely going through the staff database. She would likely be on the list of possible candidates.

Erin's observations of the events brought up another possible implication. Mech wanted to dissect the autobots. Not only that, but Silas showed evidence of already knowing some of the autobot's biology. The virus weapon, and knowing the aim for Sideswipe's t-cog were two factors that confirmed they already had gotten their hands on a Cybertronian. Erin knew it was dangerous to come to conclusions without complete evidence, but Silas did imply whom he had in his possession, and that individual was no longer alive. While it was still possible the data Mech used was gathered on Diego Garcia, Arcee was still missing and in her team's absence, it was discovered that one of the human remains in Alsace had been positively identified as a N.E.S.T soldier. The others had yet to go through enough testing. Prowl realized one of the men sent on the mission had been recruited through Colonel Bishop. And there was one less body than the number of soldiers on the mission. Sending them with that man may have been their death warrant.

The new Team Prime members were commended on their actions during the unexpected betrayal. Even Sunstreaker was let off for his 'self-defense'. Erin was also provided with her new military badge. After the debriefing, she was made to report back to the medic where she would be observed for the night. Her shoulder wound was cleaned regularly every few hours. Luckily, she was barely conscious as exhaustion finally took its toll.

After a second debriefing, made in search of any extra details, Erin was finally allowed to return to her room. With four days of leave left, she was unsure of what to do with all the spare time. Sideswipe, however, seemed to have those plans covered.

* * *

Erin had wisely decided to lay back and relax in her room.. Without the distraction of survival, her mind dwelled on the soreness emanating from her ribs. They were injuries she was wholeheartedly encouraging to heal, less she face the wrath of Ratchet, whom had threatened to tape her down on a berth in the med bay should she further injure herself. Knowing the medic, he would be good on his word.

She could have set out for the human common room, or observed training exercises, but she decided to let her antisocial side play through. Thus, Erin laid out on her stiff mattress, sketching little comics of the autobots. She was getting pretty good at them. That, and she was starting to use real conversations with them, rather than made up situations. Ratchet announcing that she was menstruating in front of Sideswipe was a rather painful example. Yet, it was amusing in hindsight.

Suddenly, a notification popped up on her data pad from Sideswipe. -Meet me outside, can't break your promises!-

Erin had certainly not forgotten her promise to Sunstreaker. It was on the forefront of her mind for a while. The thing was, she really was not looking forward to it. She replied, -Ratchet said no strenuous activity.-

Within seconds, Erin heard a tapping sound on her window. She had a sneaking suspicion from whom it was. When she got up to investigate and pulled the blinds, lo and behold, there was Sideswipe crouching into view. Erin hoped glaring at the mech would deter him, but he responded with a cheeky grin and waggling optic ridges. With a sigh, she unlocked the window, something she had not done since before the balloon prank incident, and opened it, letting the hot, humid air rush in.

"You promised Sunny a wash." he stated, a shit eating grin on his faceplates, "Do you really want to disappoint him?"

Erin decided to level with him. "Look, I don't know why Sunstreaker even wants me to touch him. I'm more scared of getting crushed than his disappointment."

"Rin," his voice softened along with his facial expressions, "We both know Sunny and 'humans' don't exactly mix. But, this is his effort to genuinely try to accept you."

Erin's retort was caught in her throat. Her eyes widened slightly at the sentiment. She had, in fact, made strides with the yellow front liner. But she never really expected him to reciprocate so much. Well, Sideswipe had her in a bind. "Fine." She grit out.

"Great!" all sincerity was lost in his victorious grin. "I'll drive you," before Erin could retort, he raised a hand to silence her, "You did say Hatchet wanted you to take it easy. We'll both be scrapped if he catches you running around base. So driving it is. Oh," he added with a sickening smile, voice dropping an octave, "You might want to get dressed."

Erin slammed the window shut and dropped the blinds. She hadn't been wearing a shirt. Normally, she wouldn't have a problem over being seen in her sports bra (she didn't have any normal lingerie). If the other men on base could work out shirtless, she certainly could as well. But the way he spoke made her feel scandalized. Probably because of how off it was, the flirting tones of an alien trying to get a rise out of her. Whenever a human hit on her, she could just punch him, doing that to the mech would likely break her hand, and arm, and the rest of her still healing body. Erin had half a mind to pull her blade on the cheeky autobot. Who side violence was never the answer? It solved a lot of problems for her.

Asshole… or afthole. Perhaps she should just march out in only her sports bra and spandex, just to show the 'bot how little she cared. But knowing him, he'd only take the opportunity to get another reaction from her.

Sideswipe, of course, insisted on driving Erin to their destination. Still sore and tired, the young soldier relented and allowed the 'bot to take her. If she could survive a ride with Sunstreaker, then she should be fine with his slightly less homicidal twin. At least with him, she could see where they were going. She did not, however, expect to find the 'vette going up the Lennox's driveway. From what Erin could see, no other autobots, Sunstreaker included, were present.

"Why are we here?" she questioned as Sideswipe pulled to a stop.

"That depends. Sunny says he wants us to barrow Mrs. Lennox's cleaning supplies 'cause it's designed for human use. But, he really just wants to try it out." Sideswipe giggled, his alt-mode shaking slightly.

"So I'm just an excuse?" Erin deadpanned.

"Pretty much, he's just too prideful to ask Mrs. Lennox for anything."

So much for progress.

"But," Sideswipe interrupted Erin's oncoming negative thoughts, "That doesn't change the fact that he likes you more. Excuse or not, he's never let humans touch him before. And, you're the first to ride with him."

"That's only because he didn't have much of a choice." She muttered.

"Knowing Sunny, if it was any other human, he'd make them call a cab, or just walk. Trust me, he's made big steps with you." Sideswipe sounded oddly wise in his analysis of his twin. If anyone was an expert on the manic marigold's moods, it was him.

"Whatever you say." She made no effort to hide the sarcasm in her voice.

Erin wanted to get out of his alt-form but paused. Was it rude to open the door herself? It was, after all, a part of his body. His winglet. Sideswipe had clearly explained door wings, like the ones Prowl had, and Sideswipe's smaller winglets were very different. Apparently, all 'bots of Prowl's specific race had wings. They were like sensory extensions and were a major part of their lives, from displaying emotions to mating rituals. Again, the thought of Cybertronians mating severely confused Erin. Prowl's wings hardly ever moved, but apparently, other mechs were more animated with their motions. Bumblebee, whom would soon be on his way to their base with his human charge, was another 'Praxian' with door wings. Sideswipe's winglets were just a part of his armor and mainly for ascetics. In fact, he stated they didn't have much of a purpose anymore. Erin had intended to ask him what he meant by that next time the subject came up.

Sideswipe, ever perceptive, seemed to catch Erin's pause, hand raised by the door handle. Wordlessly, he popped the door open, although Erin could feel amusement oozing from his frame.

"Thanks." She shot out as she quickly climbed onto her shaky legs. She was still tired and sore.

Without waiting for Sideswipe to transform, Erin climbed the porch to the quaint home and firmly knocked in the door. From somewhere within the house, she could hear a 'one moment please!', followed by the clattering of metal. She must have been doing dishes.

Within moments, Sarah Lennox opened the front door, greeting Erin with a shining smile. "Hello Erin, it's nice to see you back safe and sound. I was worried." Her smile faltered a little, showing that her statement was genuine. "When Ironhide said you were MIA, well…"

"It was nothing serious, just a loss in communication. I'm sorry to have worried you." Erin placated, feeling a bit awkward over her concern.

Mrs. Lennox didn't look quite convinced. She eyed Erin suspiciously. The soldier stood straight, holding onto her professional demeanor. "Well, I'm glad to hear it." she eventually said. "Now to what do I owe this visit?"

"Well," Erin cracked a bit, being reminded of her situation. She really did not feel comfortable giving anyone or anybot a bath, especially Sunstreaker. But, a promise was a promise. "I was hoping to barrow some of your car cleaning supplies."

"Really? Who's it for?" she looked surprised. It was to be expected, since most of the 'bots who were comfortable with being cleaned by anyone only ever went to her. Still, Erin had hoped she wouldn't be curious.

"I owe one of the 'bots a favor and this is how he asked me to repay him." She sighed.

Mrs. Lennox took the hint and didn't push for any details. Instead, she gave a knowing smile, which was oddly unnerving to Erin. "I understand, they're in the garage, you can follow me."

Erin did as the woman asked, following her around the outside corner of the house. She spared a quick glance to Sideswipe whom still had not transformed. However, when Mrs. Lennox gave him a nod, he responded with a friendly engine rev. How Erin understood the tone behind that noise, she was unsure. Perhaps overexposure was getting to her.

In the garage was a shelving lined wall filled with various grooming supplies for vehicles. Erin really didn't understand most of it, but she could tell the difference between cleaners, waxes, and towels. Mrs. Lennox really was an impressive hostess. She was prepared to entertain any sort of company, human or autobot. Erin could understand why some men found that place to be a sort of haven from all the anxieties of base life.

"Now, will you be doing just the exterior or the interior as well?" Mrs. Lennox questioned as she grabbed a crate and started looking through her stock pile.

"I'm not sure. But to be safe, I would appreciate a full set of supplies, just in case." Erin answered.

She smiled back at the soldier, "I'm glad Sunstreaker opening up enough to let you do this for him."

Erin flinched. "How did you it was him?"

"Well," she looked back at the shelves and started grabbing various items, "Optimus would never hold a debt over you. Ratchet would come up with some other way for you to pay him back. Prowl would insist any favor he does is a part of his duties so he wouldn't think you owed him anything. Mirage and the twins don't get along well, so any favors going on between you two would most likely upset them. And of the 'bots who would be more willing to be washed, Ironhide, Jazz, Wheeljack, Que, and Sideswipe would all just come here for a wash. Sunstreaker is the only one who would make you do the traveling. And if it was Sideswipe, he would have transformed and probably tease about getting you to 'bathe him'. While I thought Sunstreaker would never ask any human for a favor, you three do seem close as a team, so it makes sense."

"You know them well, don't you?" Erin blinked. This woman was just as insightful as she had suspected.

"I've known the autobots for a while now. They're my friends, so of course I understand them a bit. Now," she changed the subject, "If you're going to wash Sunstreaker, you'll have to make sure you do the best job possible. He wouldn't be pleased with any mistakes."

"Yes ma'am." Erin was painfully aware of how vicious he could be over the smallest of things she did, just because she was human.

"First of all, make sure he's parked in a shaded place. The water here is full of minerals, which will leave spots when they dry. Keeping him out of the sunlight will slow this process, and make things easier for you. I'm going to give you extra microfiber towels, don't be afraid to use all of them up to ensure you don't accidently cause any streaks. And make sure you change towels every time you move forward in the cleaning process. When you bring everything back, it's ok that the towels are dirty, actually I would prefer if you didn't wash them, I will do that myself."

"Yes ma'am."

"If he decides he'd like you to also clean his interior, you'll want to do that first." She grabbed a small hand held battery-operated vacuum. "While I doubt Sunstreaker will have much dust in his interior, considering how often he self-grooms and the fact he doesn't give anyone rides, I'm going to give you this just in case. Use it to clean the floor area."

It appeared she had not heard of Erin and Sunstreaker's adventures. There was no telling whether or not Sideswipe was gossiping about it.

Mrs. Lennox showed Erin a black spray bottle. "This is for the dashboard and side handles. Use the microfiber towels to clean it off." She then held up a clear bottle with blue solution. "This will be for his windows and mirrors, use it both on the inside and outside. Make sure after you wipe it off, use the other side of the towel to polish in a clockwise or counter clockwise direction."

Erin got the sense she should be taking notes.

"For the seats, use this cleaner," she showed a smaller black bottle with a screw-on cap, "dampen a towel with this and wipe the seats off. Then use this conditioner." Mrs. Lennox continued to show her each cleaning product as she carefully placed them, in order, inside the crate. "The 'bots especially love the conditioner. They say it feels good on their seats. That just about does it for the interior. When you clean his outside armor. You'll first want to wash him off. Mix a quarter cup of the car washing product per gallon of water. Use the microfiber mitt to apply the soap from the top down. Try to avoid getting the suds on his windows, though."

This wash was beginning to sound more like a minefield of ways to mess up and piss off the yellow warrior.

"Use the clay bar to remove anything that may be sticking to him. The 'bots don't always notice small bits of tree sap that stick to their armor after patrols. After washing him, use the white drying towel to dry him off. It will work better than the blue ones. The next step is polishing. Again, I am unsure whether or not he will want it. Some of the 'bots prefer to let their own paint nanites take care of this."

Curious, Erin asked, "What are paint nanites?"

Mrs. Lennox smiled at the question. "They are what give their armor its color. They're programmed to turn their outermost armor the color of the vehicle they scan. Or at least that's how Ironhide describes it. Although, the 'bots can change their color if they apply paint. Eventually, the paint nanites reprogram to use that color."

"Sounds like some kind of alien skin bacteria to me." The more Erin learned about Cybertronians, the less robotic they seemed.

"I'm not sure exactly what nanites are, just what they accomplish. Although, I think symbiotic relationships, such as that between us and the bacteria in our bodies, is only an organic thing. Ratchet at least makes it sound that way." Mrs. Lennox went back to rooting over the shelf.

Erin still had a lot to learn about the 'bots, but Mrs. Lennox could be a more useful source than she first imagined. "I'm sorry for interrupting. You were saying?"

"It's quite alright." The woman smiled sweetly. "Now, polishing is rather simple. Apply the glaze by hand, using small, circular and overlapping strokes on a clean microfiber mitt. Make sure it doesn't dry completely, but once it starts to look hazy, use a towel to remove it. The final step is waxing. Usually, the 'bots only wax themselves no more than once a week, and for some, once every few months. Sunstreaker, however, seems to do it pretty often, so he'll probably want you to do that."

Erin muttered, "He did specify he would want a wax."

"Unless he has his own wax he wants you to use, I'm recommend you use the wax with the gold label, but I'm going to give you another kind as well, so he can decide which he prefers. The 'bots can be picky when it comes to the waxes they use. One kind is a liquid wax, and the other is a paste, but the technique for each is the same as polishing. When you remove them, fold the towel in fourths. Use one side to break up the wax, and the other side to remove any residue. If, however, Sunstreaker doesn't want a full wax, I'll give you a spray wax, which is like booster between waxing. And that should do it." Mrs. Lennox placed her hands on her hips and looked down at the impressive kit she'd made.

"Thank you for allowing me to barrow these. Is there anything I can give you in return?" Erin asked, although she knew the woman would not ask for repayment.

As expected, she shook her head. "I'm just happy someone is finally getting through to the twins. They live in their own world, cut off from everyone else. I'm glad they have you."

I'm glad they have you.

That comment stuck with Erin the entire ride back. She never really considered the benefit the 'bots might be receiving from her presence. They were still, in her mind, a means to an end. At least she thought they were.


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello my dear readers! Wow, I can't believe the story had grown so much in only a few short months! Thank you for all the support thus far! Please, enjoy this mostly fluffy chapter! Rated for language and suggestive content.**

 **A special thanks to my reviwers, ReadsToMuchALot, Edges05, Cinematronix, and CherryVanillaCake.**

 **Enjoy!**

Erin felt like a dog heading to the vet. She knew of her impending destination, but was trapped in the vehicle taking her there. Even after Sideswipe let her out so he could transform, the mech kept an annoyingly close optic on her, as if knowing she hoped to escape.

Erin recognized the wash racks from first seeing them a few weeks prior, the same day she first teamed up with the twins. But as she fully stood in the room, it seemed much larger. Nothing would be within reach of her. Whether it were the large wheels which appeared to control water temperature and pressure, the empty shelving on the walls, or the incredibly high shower heads, which seemed to be numerous hoses zip tied together. The only thing on the concrete floor, which appeared to be coated in water-proof resin, were large drain grates. The iron was close enough together that her feet would not fall through, and thick enough to withstand the weight of a cybertronian.

In the corner where the light did not quite hit, stood Sunstreaker, arms crossed. In Erin's opinion, he did not appear to be in any need of a wash, but he hardly ever had so much as a spec of dirt on him. Most noticeably, Sunstreaker's attention seemed to be fully focused on Erin. She couldn't think of any particular reason why he would be upset with her, if he really was, besides her organiciness.

"Hey Sunny," Sideswipe greeted, either not noticing or not caring about the unspoken tension in the room. "Mrs. Lennox really set us up." He gestured to the large crate Erin held.

At that moment, her cargo almost felt like an offering to the angry, narcissistic sun god.

"Don't call me that." Sunstreaker naturally responded, never even looking at his twin. He stepped forward towards Erin. Unlike most 'bots, when he approached her, he paid little heed to their size difference and the effect it had on her neck. He stood only a few feet away and promptly plucked the supplies out of her grip. "I've changed my mind, squishy. You're off the hook. Just go rest or something." Just like that he dismissed her, walking off and depositing the crate on a high shelf.

She should have been relieved, that was precisely what she wanted. However, for some god-forsaken reason, she was irritated instead. "Oh, no. I made a promise and I intend to keep it." She stated firmly.

Sunstreaker scoffed, back turned towards her. "I don't need a squishy's help."

"That stuff is for human sized users." She reasoned.

"I can manage." He replied shortly.

Erin was not one to give her ground, though. "You know what? No. I'm doing this, deal with it. I don't want you to just give me an out. And I'm not your delivery girl. If you wanted me to pick up these supplies for you, then you should have asked. But instead, you demanded a wash and that's what I'm going to give you. Now shut up and transform."

There was a pregnant silence. Erin and Sunstreaker maintained eye to optic contact. Neither looking away, while Sideswipe's optics flashed between them. He seemed ready to jump into action, inching towards Erin, as if ready to protect her. Erin herself twitched her hand near her energon pistol.

After a long second, Sunstreaker closed his optics and sighed, "You better not get any of your organic oils on me."

"Promise" Erin kept a serious face.

"And what if you mess up?" He questioned, brow raised.

It was Erin's turn to scoff. "It's a wash, human clean cars all the time."

Sunstreaker crossed his arms. "Not to my standards."

Erin regained her serious expression. "Mrs. Lennox told me everything I need to know, besides, Sideswipe can help me."

The yellow mech motioned towards his brother, "Practice on him first."

"Really?" Erin asked, tone indicating both her belief and annoyance.

"Really." Sunstreaker replied, a slight grin appearing on his faceplates.

"Yay!" Sideswipe cheered, "Great idea, Sunny!"

"Don't call me that!" He snapped.

Erin raised her head towards the ceiling and rubbed her eyes, as if trying to wipe away her irritation. "Fine. Sideswipe, can you transform?"

"Sure thing, squishy." He chirped.

"Excuse me?" Her head snapped down, hands on hips in an authoritative stance.

Sideswipe grinned. "I'm acting like Sunny."

"Don't call me that." The real Sunstreaker replied.

Sideswipe, giggling madly, transformed to his corvette form. Sounds of laughter changed to light engine revving and rocking of his alt mode. Sunstreaker returned her cleaning supplies promptly.

Erin pulled out the vacuumed questioning why she even insisted on doing this. Right as she reached for Sideswipe's driver's side door, he reversed a few feet. This was starting to feel rather familiar.

"What are you doing?" she questioned.

"I don't want you oils all over me!" He whined petulantly.

"I don't sound like that!" Sunstreaker snapped.

This was going to be a long day. "Come on, Sideswipe, just hold still." Erin's next attempt was meet by more evasion.

"Hold still you fragger!" Sunstreaker lunged forward and tackled Sideswipe, hands gripping his back wheels to keep him from moving.

Sideswipe laughed maniacally before shouting out, "No! Humans are icky!"

"I don't sound like that!" the yellow warrior repeated.

"This is starting to feel offensive." Erin rumbled, arms crossed. "All right, Sideswipe-"

"I'm not Sideswipe! I'm Sunstreaker! The prettiest 'bot in the universe with only mild sociopathic tendencies!"

"Shut it, fragger, before I tear out your vocals!" Sunstreaker snapped.

Erin smiled slightly, deciding to play along with Sideswipe's game. "Ok, Sunny-"

Pseudo-Sunstreaker laughed, "Don't call me that!"

"I won't touch you with me skin, alright?" She pulled off her shoes and tucked them to the side. "There, no dirt will get in your interior." She also grabbed a cleaning mitt and placed it over her left hand. "See, you're perfectly safe." She spoke in a sickeningly sweet tone, as if trying to calm a child.

Sunstreaker grumbled something incoherent.

Sideswipe, on the other hand, finally opened his door and his twin released the firm grip he was holding.

No matter how childish Sideswipe got, Erin knew she'd be safer starting out with him than daring to touch Sunstreaker.

The vacuum was surprisingly quiet. Erin made quick work of the floor areas. There wasn't much to clean up anyway. All the 'bots seemed to keep themselves in a neat condition. Sideswipe did try to make it difficult for her, giggling as she set about her work.

"What's so funny?" She asked, trying to keep her serious demeanor against Sideswipe's chipper tone.

"That tickles!" he laughed through the radio, frame shaking slightly.

"You guys are ticklish?" This was new to Erin. A wicked smile crossed her features. She poked around Sideswipe's interior, checking for different responses. Once the sucking action hit the bottom left of his center console, Sideswipe erupted into loud, boisterous laughter. His alt shook so hard, Erin lost her balance and she fell under the steering wheel. A small shot of pain echoed through her recently obtained injuries.

Sideswipe tried to regain his composure, "You… haha! You aren't supposed to touch me, remember?"

His laughter seemed to be contagious as Erin started her own little giggling fit. "Sorry, Sunny." She ghosted the vacuum back over the same spot, earning another outburst of laughter from the mech.

Chuckles interrupted nearly every word he spoke, "Don't… don't call me that! Please! Rin, mercy! Please!"

At the desperate sound in his voice, Erin relented and turned off her weapon. Both mech and human still giggling while Sunstreaker watched silently.

Erin retreated to grab one of the spray bottles. "Now," she grinned, mood lightened thanks to Sideswipe, "you better hold still this time."

Sideswipe seemed to obey her orders, only sinking slightly on his axels when she started whipping the cleaner off his seats. "Rin," he moaned, "that feels so good."

A flash of pink lighted the soldiers features. Doing her best to ignore the occasionally perverted mech, she started cleaning his radio face, hearing a disappointed sigh. Apparently, he was less sensitive there. Mrs. Lennox did say some of the 'bots treated seat cleaning like a massage, as weird as that sounded.

She was thorough, whipping every seam and cornered, making sure her skin touched nothing, even though Sideswipe himself wouldn't mind. Sunstreaker was watching her like a hawk. Thus far, he said nothing so Erin assumed she was doing an acceptable job. Military style precision seemed to pay off. Almost done with her task, Erin wiped off the gear stick.

"You gotta grip it hard, sweetspark." Sideswipe rumbled, voice dropping an octave.

Her hand shot back as if it had been burned, face turning scarlet.

Sideswipe's alt-mode rocked with silent laughter, having successfully gotten a rise out of his target.

"Don't worry, sweetspark," he said in a teasing tone, "I'm just kidding. Mine is _way_ bigger."

Erin closed her eyes and pinched the ridge of her nose, trying to center herself. "Ok, I need no more details. And I think you're clean enough." She said hurriedly as she climbed out of his cab.

Sideswipe sink on his tires, "No! Please don't stop. I'll be good, I promise!" he begged.

Erin eyed him suspiciously.

"If he acts up again," Sunstreaker interjected, "feel free to stab him, the interior is more sensitive than the armor." His arms were nonchalantly crossed as he leaned against the wall, looking more relaxed than Erin had ever seen him.

Sideswipe rolled back a bit, "Don't give her any ideas, Sunny."

"Don't call me that." He snapped back.

Erin sighed, "You better behave this time, or I'll heed his advice."

"I will!" he promised, alt bouncing slightly with excitement.

And he did. Erin was able to completely clean his cab with little movement or comment from the silver mech. For a moment, the soldier even forgot she was inside a living being. When she was done, he smelled like a mix of the cleaning products and his own natural. Smoky scent, like freshly blown out candles.

"That felt great!" Sideswipe commented after Erin stepped out.

The soldier sighed, wiping off her hands on a spare towel, "Do you always make such a fuss when someone cleans your interior?"

"No one has ever done it before." Sideswipe replied, "Our servos are too big so we try to get what we can with a normal wash."

Sunstreaker moved from his nearby spot, kneeling down to glance into Sideswipe's cab. His critical optics scanned over his brother, judging Erin's performance. "You did pretty good squishy." He conceded. "I'll let you work on me, then."

Erin smirked ironically "Why thank you so much" she made no effort to hide the sarcasm in her voice.

Sunstreaker, with only a grunt of acknowledgement, gracefully transformed down into his alt.

"What about my wash?" Sideswipe asked, still waiting in his vehicle mode.

The yellow twin replied, voice coming from God-knows-where, "You shouldn't have wasted so much time messing around, fragger."

It was kind of surreal watching two cars argue with each other.

"Don't you want her to practice the armor first?" Sideswipe said suggestively.

Sunstreaker snorted, "You can help her with that."

Ready to move on and finish her commitments, Erin interjected, "You wash your armor while I get Sunstreaker's interior. Please, I owe this to Sunstreaker and could really use your help."

"But-"

Erin interrupted, "Don't argue." Her tone left little room for that.

Sideswipe transformed and sulked off to a distance shower head, sullenly turning it on for his regular wash.

Erin was a bit more confident being in Sunstreaker's alt the second time around. It was still dark, with the windows being tinted to black, but the open side door provided enough light. Erin was careful not to let her skin touch him. Taking the first step was harrowing, even knowing he asked for this, she still suspected that he might lash out. But nothing happened. Having stepped in though the side door, she reached over the console and vacuumed the other side first. She could had sworn she felt him shiver slightly when her mitted hand rested on the opposing seat. At the very least she would pretend he didn't mean anything offensive by it.

Erin took her time, ensuring not one spec was left, knowing full well Sunstreaker would have a way of finding it.

Although he was, technically, a car, the soldier couldn't help but notice how stiff he seemed compared to Sideswipe. She didn't know whether it was the physically tougher seats or just the air around him. But when she moved on to the black bottle cleaner which Sideswipe enjoyed so much, she finally noticed a difference. Sunstreaker, ever so slightly, sank lower on his wheels. The padding under her hand also softened. The mech may not have been as openly expressive as his twin, but Erin got the sense he was actually enjoying this. She found herself smiling, it was about time the front liner relaxed a bit. After that, finishing up his interior felt like a breeze. Her caution remained, but she also felt herself relax a bit in the rhythm of cleaning. She was able to finish, unscathed, a success in her book.

Sideswipe stood off to the side, pouting about his interrupted wash. And while Erin couldn't see Sunstreaker's face, she felt a sense of smugness coming from him. The mechs were just using her to mess with each other. _Who gets to play with the squishy next?_ Still determined to complete her promise to Sunstreaker, Erin felt a hint of regret in not taking the out he provided.

Erin faced the silver warrior, who perked upon noticing the attention directed towards him. "Could you help me finish up?" she asked, trying to give him a honied smile.

He saw right through it. Sideswipe crossed his arms and cocked a brow. "Sweet and tender isn't your style, sweetspark."

Her expression fell flat, shoulder's slumping. "Just get your aft over here. You can reach his hood easier than I can."

"You can reach it just fine." His response seemed indifferent, but Erin's sudden change in tone brought the silver mech's smile back. _At least he was amused again._

"Not without rubbing my oranicines all over your brother." Erin gestured to herself, as if pointing out all the flaws Sunstreaker envisioned. She'd stopped feeling affected by the way Sunstreaker described her and her kind. As such, she used the same language rather casually.

Sideswipe grinned, optics narrowing sensually. "Oh, I'll watch.'

"Pervert." She shot back.

The warrior's tone changed to something more age appropriate, "I'll help you if you join me for monitor duty tonight. You have nothing else going on, right?"

Erin busied herself, getting the soap and bucket ready. "Are you just assuming that if I'm not training with you, I'm not busy."

"I'm just saying, you spend almost all your free time with either us or Ironaft." Sideswipe's observation was painfully true.

While he made a good point, it still left her room for a true excuse. "Now that you mentioned it, I did agree to meet Ironhide in about two hours from now."

"I don't start monitor duty 'till 1900." _Damn it._

"What if I promise to strongly consider it?" Erin asked. It wasn't that she didn't want to be around the mech, his company was rather enjoyable. However, her healing body left her tired and the her leave provided the rare opportunity for extra sleep, something which she constantly craved.

"Nope." Sideswipe said in a sing-song voice.

"Fine, I'll give your company, happy?" She replied shortly, like Sunstreaker would.

"Very much." He gave her a cheeky smile as he approached, hose in hand. It appeared to be adjacent to the other pieces that made up the massive showerheads.

Erin half expected him to soak her with it just for laughs, but instead he aimed it for his brother. The light spray that rebounded and hit Erin informed her that the water was warm.

He ended up being of more help than she had originally given him credit for. With practiced precision, he helped wash, wax, and polish Sunstreaker. It was apparent that he had done this many times before. In fact, he seemed to rather enjoy getting handsy with his twin. His servos practically danced across the yellow mech's armor. Meanwhile, Sunstreaker remained silent as he was pampered to shiny perfection. And afterwards, Sunstreaker even offered a short 'thank you' to both human and mech.

Overall, it wasn't quite as harrowing as Erin had feared. Still, she didn't plan on doing this again, for either mech.

* * *

Ironhide typed his chosen selection of glyphs into his data pad, sending them to the holographic projector sitting on the rec room table. He watched as Erin studied them closely. Humans may not have the same abilities as Cybertronians for learning, but the femme already had expertise in multiple human languages. As such, she seemed to be grasping Cybertronian easier than he originally expected. Still, the language was more complex than any on earth.

The specific dialect he was teaching her was his own native Tarnian, which was also the most universal and the main dialect on the base. Only Mirage, who used the very similar Iaconian, differed from this trend. Even Prime who was native to Iacon, and Ratchet who lived there for many vorns, switched to Tarnian.

This was the first lesson Ironhide was giving the young soldier. As such, he was starting with what he considered to be vital information; any type of distress signal, sign of allegiance, or warnings of danger. This was not where he started with Annabelle, but Erin was a soldier working on an autobot team, so at the very least she should know these things.

With each symbol, Ironhide also spoke the word, which Erin then recorded and stored on her data pad for later study. The most recent glyphs were distress signals, basically an SOS. All of which were very similar, bar a few small details which Erin seemed to pick up upon.

"All the glyphs mean extreme distress," Ironhide began, "but as with almost every word in Cybertronian, there are several different ways to convey it." He pointed at each glyph in descending order. "This one means they are severely injured, while the next one tells of minor injuries. The following one says someone else is severely injured, and a companion has minor injuries for the next one. The more tics over this curve, the more panic the individual is in. As you can see, this one had six tics, which is the maximum. The angle of this line here represents the age of the mech sending the message. Anywhere from twenty degrees to the left, representing first frame, to twenty four degrees to the right, representing late in their third frame."

Erin, sitting cross-legged on the table, typed her notes diligently; only asking questioned every so often, knowing better than to be an interruption to her own lecture. The femme was, admittingly, quite intelligent. Once he taught her something, she almost always recalled it. The Cybertronian language was complicated because each glyph and spoken word can have incredibly specific meanings. Emotion, time, personal circumstances, frame type, and even local weather can be portrayed in a single sound or symbol. As such, for humans who use far simpler means of communications, it was no easy feat to learn it.

After Erin mastered the vital information, Ironhide planned to give her a closer education to that which he provided to Annabelle. The femme, however, already seemed to be noticing certain rules behind his native language and whenever she spotted a new one, she would confirm it with Ironhide, then store it on her data pad.

"Ironhide," the soldier spoke, pointing towards a lower glyph, "why is the middle bottom line straighter on that symbol than the others?"

The question made the weapons specialist smile. "That, youngling, was something I put you there to, as you humans say, trip you up. Though, it seems you caught it. Because of that small detail, this glyph means nothing. It shows that the Cybertronian language is extremely precise. Penmanship quirks are nearly nonexistent among our kind."

Erin grinned knowingly, happy she passed his test, and continued to type away at her growing list of notes.

She was an excellent student. He just prayed to Primus that the twins didn't corrupt her.

* * *

It was risky, the plan Division had set forth. 56's original mission had been to infiltrate, gather information, and leave. The agent knew additional orders would be provided; N.E.S.T information was just another asset to Division. An organization as powerful as her employers could gamble with their assents for a chance to gain even more. It was like investing. There was risk, but even if the N.E.S.T mission failed, Division would be unaffected. Still, 56 was lucky things panned out so far.

The agent had already met with the target, and the seeds had been planted.

While going about normal business, acting as any other soldier, the agent happened upon Mirage. The proud mech was not one to interact with humans often, luckily, 56 happened to have enough prior conversations with the 'bot, that the agent was not ignored when greeting the giant. It was not difficult to understand what made Mirage tick, in a figurative standpoint, anyway.

If one listened to enough chatter around the base, they could learn that Mirage wasn't pleased with the direction the autobots were going in, and those around him took offensive to it. The former member of Cybertronian elite society thought he was above the conflict itself, also, he believed that a peaceful resolution between autobots and decepticons was still possible.

The agent prompted a conversation with the mech, who argued that humans, such as the agent, weren't necessary. 56 was well versed in the art of manipulation and Mirage was, in reality, no different than any human the agent had dealt with.

"You see, Mirage, humans can be of great use to you. Think of it this way, for humans, if we get a broken bone and it does not heal properly, a doctor will rebreak it and set the bone themselves. With the conflict ending like it has, Cybertronians are improperly healing from eons of fighting. Understand what I'm saying?"

Mirage stared back quizzically. "Humans, as a terzi parte- third party- should 'rompere l'osso'? Break the bone?"

"It would put both sides on equal terms. It may be their only opportunity to heal together."

He shook his helm, dismissing the claim, "Humans are sided with the autobots. They can't be indifferente"

"Humans may claim to be sided with them, but do you honestly have any doubts that our government is not holding you down? Keeping vital resources from you? Think of yourself, you are a member of high class society, forced to slum it out on an organic planet with the likes lower 'bots. But it is because you have lost so much, that you are uniquely qualified to help fix this problem. By losing it all, you are ready and willing to heal, all you need is some help. The entire autobot side may as well already be broken. All that's left is the 'cons."

The mech's interest was visually peaked. "And you think humans can do this?"

"I know we don't measure up to your kind, but we are suited for what you need. In fact, its best that our kind does it. Even if both sides end up hating us afterwards, we are a species you can forget about while you move on in peace."

Mirage looked swayed, but not enough. "Cosa c'è dentro per la tua specie? What's in in for your kind?"

"Having our world back to ourselves. Once the cybertronian conflict ends, and both sides move on to rebuild together, there will be one less threat to my kind."

The skepticism remained on his faceplates, but 56 could tell the mech was almost won over. "I am... interessati. But is this not what N.E.S.T attempts to do?"

"N.E.S.T is not aiming towards peace, but rather eradication of the other side. I know of a group whose goal is to foster the eventual peace you wish to achieve, but, they do not think N.E.S.T would be willing to help them."

Mirage's social elite started to come out, during the course of this short conversation. "I am here under orders of Prime, not N.E.S.T, I do not care what human organizzazione umana, human organization, does it, only that we get comprensione reciproca, mutual understanding."

"Would you betray Prime to reach our objective?"

"I join the autobots because I had to pick a side or be attacked by both, distrutto. Gli autobot sono il mio presente, non il mio futuro." At that moment, Mirage made the decision to join the dark side.

"Excellent."

It had been simple. Plant the seeds of dissent in the egotistical mech, and lead him to Division. Mission accomplished.

* * *

It was Erin's first time in the monitor room. She'd served shifts in the surveillance tower before, which basically served the same purpose but for humans. This area had been constructed only a couple of years prior, after the autobots moved to the base. Like all else in the autobot hanger, everything was mech sized. There were three seats, only one of which was occupied by the silver prankster himself.

He leaned back in his seat upon seeing Erin enter. "Rin! I'm glad you came. Monitor duty is always better with company."

Erin continued to inspect her surroundings as she walked forward. "I didn't have anything else to do. But shouldn't you be paying attention. I don't want to distract you from your duties."

He scoot his chair back. There was just enough room from the other wall for him to stand. While the area would be rather large for a human, there was not even enough space for two mechs to stand shoulder to shoulder between the server and back wall.

"Don't worry, sweetspark. I can multitask." He knelt down, offering her a servo.

Erin eyed him and the chairs. She could climb, but if Ratchet found out she was stressing her injuries, he would through a fit. She could survive a few seconds. She nodded to him and he smiled as he gently wrapped a servo around her waist and lifted her up. With both speed and care, he set her back down on the alien keyboard. There was an open space between the various keys that was the perfect size to fit a petit human.

Erin could instantly recognize the fact that this monitor room was filled with alien technology. From her new vantage point, she could see the keyboard was like a giant touch screen. Alien script glowed in intercrossing triangles all across the board. On the monitors were images from various live cameras on base. More blue script ran over the screens either from right to left or bottom to top. Erin could only guess what data was flashing over.

Sideswipe settled himself back down, a happy grin on his faceplates even as he glanced over the mundane view of empty training fields. "So, what's it going to be this time?" He rested his chin in a servo as he periodically glanced between his duties and apparent entertainment.

"Pardon?" Erin quirked her brow.

He gave her a knowing grin. "Every time we're together, you ask a series of questions which I answer and it eventually devolves into me telling stories about the other 'bots from since we arrived here. Am I wrong?"

"I've told you many times, if you would rather I didn't-"

"I never said that. In fact, I like your curiosity, it's cute." He leaned further over the keyboard, bringing himself closer to her eye level.

While Erin did not take a liking to being called 'cute', she had accepted the way these beings might see humans, so it wasn't too offensive. She pointedly did not react to his statement. He would not get a rise out of her this time. "Fine." she closed her eyes and tried to think of something. Maybe she could trip him up. "What's your favorite color?"

Sideswipe paused. "Really? My favorite color?"

The incredulous look on his faceplates made Erin smile. "You wanted a question. You didn't specify as to what it had to pertain."

"Nothing about combat ability or subspacing capabilities?" he quizzed, analyzing her reaction, searching for her intentions.

"Would you prefer I ask about that?" she questioned sweetly.

"No, this is fine." He still looked suspicious, as if the innocent question was a trick. "It would either have to be yellow or gold."

"I wonder why." Erin muttered to herself, rolling her eyes.

"My turn." Sideswipe chirped.

"Hm?"

"I want to change things up as well." The mech reasoned, adjusted himself in his massive seat. "Ok, have you ever pranked anyone before?"

Erin started, not at the question, but the memories. Her feelings flashed between amusement, shock, anger, and guilt. Trying to keep the mood light, Erin gave a weak grin. "When I was really young, I used to prank my caretakers all the time."

"Really?" Sideswipe visibly perked, this was something they definisley had in common.

"I was quite the delinquent." The soldier chuckles lightly to herself. "It was nothing fancy. I couldn't get my hands on much in terms of supplies. But I loved to mess with the adults around me."

Sideswipe looked like a kid in the candy store. "What were some of the pranks you pulled?"

Erin paused for a moment to think about it. It had been a few years, and she did so many, it was hard to choose which ones to talk about. "Well, I'd mess with their food a lot. My foster siblings and I weren't allowed to have treats but our caretakers would still eat them. So I would do stuff to them, like stick raw garlic cloves into brownies or replace frosting on cupcakes with mayo."

Sideswipe's optics dimmed as he searched all the humans food terms. Once he found what he was looking for, his nasal plates scrunched. "That's both awesome and disgusting. What else?"

Erin felt oddly relaxed, reminiscing about when she was less of a hard ass. The pranks may have been in response to her caretaker's abuse, but they were still fun times in her mind. "I messed with the water system so hot water would run cold and vice versa. I also unscrewed the door handle to the bath-er-washroom so when my caretaker tried to step out, the handle fell off and they were trapped."

By them, Sideswipe was grinning madly, listening to Erin's stories. "What happened? Why'd you stop?"

Erin's eyes widened suddenly. The question made her heart skip a beat. She remembered why she stopped. Why she started acting like the ideal role model under her caretaker's eyes. "I just grew up, that's all."

Sideswipe obviously caught the change in her tone. His smile fell and he sat straight in his seat, the security monitors forgotten. "Rin, what happened?"

Erin was, by nature, a closed person. She did not let emotion show or control her. Her features and action were all carefully manipulated. However, in a way, she felt liberated by the sense of comfort Sideswipe offered. He made her forget. They were a team and she was meant to depend on her teammates. A slip of the mask wouldn't hurt anything. "Well, growing up, my caretakers weren't the best of people. Fostering orphans was a business for them, nothing more. So they didn't exactly care about us." She began, giving his some background. "Whenever I would prank them, the punishment was severe, but I always thought it was worth it. That was until they decided to punish someone else for my actions. At that point, I decided to stop."

Sideswipe's optics narrowed. "That's just cruel."

"You and Sunstreaker are punished together, that's what happened last week." Erin countered.

"Yeah, but we're twins." Sideswipe shot back. "Honestly, I would rather be in the brig with Sunny than free without him."

It seemed selfish to her, they are known for misbehaving individually, and they know the other will shoulder the burden. "So you do pranks even if you have to share the punishment?"

"It comes with being a twin." He shrugged.

Erin's eyes grew distant in her own memories. "Share everything you have."

"Yup." Sideswipe didn't seem to notice the change in Erin's mood. His tone remained cheery.

"You really do love each other." She said mostly to herself.

He chuckled at that, voice lowering suggestively. "More than you know, sweetspark."

"Oh, I think I do." She gave him a knowing smirk. "I am no stranger to the concept of _the twin experience_."

The mech looked like he had been caught red handed, optics darting away. "So you know that Sunny and I-"

"Fuck?" he interrupted. "Yes. It's pretty obvious. You're inseparable, some of the 'bots describe the twin bond with a hint of contempt and disgust, as to be expected, and you're always staring at Sunstreaker's aft."

Sideswipe rubbed the back of his helm in a rather human gesture "Guilty as charged." He asked curiously, "So, it doesn't bother you?"

"No, not really." She replied nonchalantly.

Realization his the mech like a truck. He dropped his head down and whispered conspiratorially, "Wait, you said you are familiar with the twin experience, so what twins did you experience my little human friend?"

Erin jerked back a bit at his sudden movement. "None. I just know of the concept."

"Come on, you can tell me!" he sounded like a teenage girl begging for the latest gossip.

"Drop it." She growled, hoping he got the message.

However, Sideswipe was not one to be easily swayed. When he took interest in something, he stayed committed. "You know I won't stop bothering you till you spill!"

"I had a sister, alright?" she snapped back a bit too harshly.

"Had?" A thick silence filled the room. Sideswipe looked down at his servos, his optics dim. Erin glanced up to the screens. She couldn't even begin to understand the script, but the cameras showed no activity.

"What was her name?" the question was so sudden, it took Erin a moment to comprehend what she was just asked.

"Cora."

"…"

"…"

"What was Cora like?"

Erin wasn't sure how to answer. She had not discussed her sister with anyone for years. It was too painful. But when she looked up into Sideswipe's earnest optics and gentle smile, she saw not pity, but understanding.

Erin whispered, "Actually, she was a bit like Sunstreaker." Sideswipe stayed silent, nodding for her to continue. "She was strong, physically and otherwise. She was my rock. She would protect and shield me, take on all the burdens she could for my sake, even take my punishments willingly. That's why I stopped messing with our caretakers. Not just because she was getting hurt for my actions, but because of her willingness to take it. It broke my heart." The memories flowed back, prompting a fond smile from the soldier. "She also had a temper. She tended to get into fights, like, all the time. She'd kick my ass every once in a while as well."

"That does sound like Sunny." Sideswipe smiled fondly.

Erin continued, feeling a bit of freedom through her words. "But she was a realist. If things turned south, she'd do whatever it took to protect me, even swallowing her massive ego. I didn't deserve her."

"I may not have known her," the silver mech said gently, resting his massive servo over Erin's shoulders, "but if she really was like Sunny, I know she'd be proud of you for surviving on."

"Thanks, Sideswipe." Erin closed her eyes, taking in the image of her sister as she remembered her.

"What did she look like?" He continued to prompt, seeing the smile form on Erin's face.

"Actually," she grinned fully, "we were identical twins. But she carried herself with so much grace and confidence. She always looked more beautiful to me. I really loved her."

"Still comparing her to Sunny?" he nudged her, bringing some levity to the conversation.

Erin snapped back to the present. "What, what?"

"I'm just joking, sweetspark." Sideswipe said in a teasing tone.

"Frist you flirt, then you lock me up with your twin?" Erin shook her head.

"We are a package deal." He winked to make his point. "So, about that twin experience thing?"

"No, jeez, Sideswipe. We were only kids!" she responded a bit too quickly. "She died when I was sixteen." In truth, Erin really was attracted to her sister. It was a forbidden love that never flowered. Maybe she liked it because it was different, taboo, or maybe it was because Cora would always be there for her. Either way, that was long gone, and all Erin had left were memories and a feeling of longing.

"Sorry, I had to ask." Sideswipe replied lightly.

The night went on, Sideswipe prompting Erin's fondest childhood memories. It was a welcome reprieve. A lifeline away from the harsh realities of the present.

* * *

*The last line Mirage said was "The autobots are my present, not my future."


	20. Chapter 20

**Hello my dear readers! I hope you are enjoying the story so far. As always, feel free to leave reviews, I love to hear your opinions. Any guesses as to what might happen?**

 **Thank you to my reviewers; CherryVanillaCoke, Cinematronix, and Edges05.**

Mission report.

Data gathering in progress.

Files included:

File A: Experimental energon-based weapons

Note: Gathered via observation

File B: Analysis of Cybertronian environmental adaptation

File C: MECH incident

Notes: Known data from N.E.S.T investigation

Analysis of Autobot team. Que

Inventor. Eighteen feet tall. Electric blue. Mercedes-Benz E550 vehicle form. Combat ability: limited. Known weapons: torch and various sharp tools transform from each hand- used in non-combative tasks. Capable of building Cybertronian weapons for human use. Prone to creating accidental explosions. Manipulation: unlikely. Recommendation: observe and gather data.

Analysis of Autobot team. Sideswipe

Gladiator. Twenty feet tall. Silver. Corvette Stingray vehicle form. Combat ability: extremely skilled in hand to hand combat. Known weapons: dual energon swords. Skilled hacking capabilities; assigned to track Division communications. Manipulation: unknown. Recommendation: n/a.

* * *

Sideswipe was unusually happy.

While he was typically an optimist, his jovial mood came from a particular reason. Rin had finally been cleared for training. But there was another reason for his joy, Sunny was not complaining, huffing, or otherwise whining about resuming their normal exercises together. In fact, he even complained to her about how slowly squishies heal. The insult only thinly veiled what seemed to be some form of anticipation. Sideswipe was thrilled at the turn in their relationship.

The night before, his brother even played video games with her. They spoke and laughed about happenings on the base. Well, it was more of Sunny's ironic chuckle, but progress is progress! He even joined Sideswipe in waiting to pick up Rin. They had already agreed to keep her training light. Afterwards, Sideswipe planned on inviting Rin to join them in the rec room. Sunny finished making a Fullstasis game board and pieces. The yellow twin was reasonably better at the game but Sideswipe intended to teach Rin the basics. She would be safe under their watch.

Neither of them wanted their human to break so soon after she was repaired. They took responsibility for what was theirs.

After weeks of meeting with her, Sideswipe had become an expected feature outside the mess hall at that hour. Usually, while he waited, soldiers whom he knew by name would stop for a quick chat. However, with Sunstreaker present, the pair were given a wide berth of space. It was almost as automatic response. Even those who had never really met the yellow front liner at least knew of his reputation. Or maybe the avoidance was just instinctual. There were only a few humans brave enough to face the mech on more than one occasion.

When Rin finally emerged Sideswipe's spark buzzed oddly. She hadn't seen them yet, instead she was speaking with one of her human acquaintances. The Sixt guy. A small, rare, smile played on her lips as she watched him talk with animated gestures. She hardly ever smiled like that.

For Sideswipe, she seemed to mainly use the same dark smirk Sunny tended to employ. An unexpected wave of something brushed over him. She spent more time with him and Sunny, so what was so special about this guy that she would actually be grinning at him like that?

Said human seemed to be the first to notice Sideswipe, or more likely his twin. He froze and paled instantly. Sideswipe glanced over to Sunny to see the pinpoint glare he was aiming at the male. Good.

The human stammered something to Rin, who had finally noticed the mechs patiently waiting for her. The male turned on his heels and headed in to opposite direction with the quickened pace soldiers tended to use in silent retreat of Sunny.

Rin's face turned to that of disappointment as she watch him retreat. That puzzled Sideswipe. In all the time he spend observing her, that Sixt guy never seemed important. If anything, Rin appeared to just deal with him while consuming her meals. That certainly wouldn't justify any type of friendship, not like the one he had formed with the femme.

The specialist's expression changed to concern as she made optic contact with the mechs. "Is everything alright?" she asked Sunny directly.

His optics softened slightly, only enough for Sideswipe to notice. "Sure squishy." He answered gruffly, "Just hurry up." His tone left little room for argument.

Sideswipe smiled dumbly at his brother, past frustrations nearly forgotten, "Yeah, let's get going."

For a supposedly impatient mech, Sunny didn't seem to mind walking along with Sideswipe and Rin. The femme, of course, still politely refused a ride.

Sideswipe crossed his arms. "Why won't you let me drive you? You drove with Sunny."

"That was different. And I've ridden with you before" she explained, "Besides, if I remember correctly, one of those times you kidnapped me. Sunstreaker has a clean track record."

He slyly smiled at the memory, at least she didn't stab him from the inside that time; she was certainly mad enough. "Aw come on, you aren't still mad about that, are you?"

The femme answered his question with a grin. Not the genuine one. "Besides, I like to walk on my own two feet. I don't need to be carted around."

"But driving is more fun." Sideswipe muttered,

"Maybe when you're in control." She admitted.

He perked up, "So if you drove…"

Her eyes widened, catching the error of semantics, "Oh, no." she raised her hands. "Not happening."

"What's better than taking a 'vette for a spin?" he purred. Sunny, to his credit, only scoffed at the notion that a Corvette would be better than a Lamborghini.

"Said 'vette is alive." She deadpanned as if that point was a negative.

"You know you want to." He pushed. Something about her being behind his wheel seemed nice, probably the fun they could have.

"I know I don't. Besides, at the speeds you go, I'd probably be liquified." She quickened her pace, which the twins easily matched.

Sideswipe frowned at the scenario she described. "I wouldn't let you get hurt."

"Not. Happening." Rin stared directly into Sideswipe's optics, not breaking the contact until Sideswipe glanced back up.

He sighed in disappointment. "Ok, but if you change your mind, the offer stills stands."

Sunny looked at his twin with disgust. Apparently, the experience of driving with a human was repulsive enough, letting one have the control would be out of the question for him. Although, he managed to survive over a day before cleaning out the crusted blood she left behind; admittingly he had no way of washing it off in the first place. "Walk or drive, just hurry up." He stomped forward a little, but slowed when he got a few paces ahead.

Erin sped her pace even more so as not to upset the mech. Sideswipe wheeled alongside her, an amused grin on his faceplates.

When they reached the training field, it was cleared as scheduled, but off to the side, Sideswipe could see a 'bot at the nearby shooting range. His back was facing the trio and most of his attention seemed to be directed at the 'Starscream' target. His lowered door wings twitched slightly as the yellow mech felt the motion of the wind. Scouts tended to have superior senses, which was further aided by his Praxian heritage.

"Sideswipe," Rin called, also seeing the new 'bot, "it that Bumblebee?"

He grinned, "Yeah, he got here yesterday." Waving a servo in the air, he called to him, "Hey, Bee!"

The mech turned to see Sideswipe and waved back. Transforming his cannon back into a servo, he stood and beckoned someone near him to follow. As approached the trio, two humans following closely behind.

"Great," Sunny scoffed, "more fleshies."

Sideswipe pointedly ignored his brother's comment, for the sake of being friendly. "Hey Bee, I want to introduce you to someone," He slapped the scout on the back a bit too roughly, nearly toppling him over, "this is Specialist Erin Brook, she's our partner on Team Prime."

Bumblebee made a choking sound, optics wide, shooting between the twins and Rin. His gaze finally landed on Sunstreaker and he pointed towards Rin, making a warbling sound from his damaged vocalizer.

Sunny growled, "Yeah, what of it?" He crossed his arms and assumed a rather intimidating stance.

Bee wisely raised his hands in a placating gesture and quickly spoke over their comms, :Nothing, it's just… uh… nice to see you getting along with the humans.:

Sunny decided to follow suit and answer over his comm, :I'm not.: He let out a barely audible growl, but after a tense moment, sighed and let the comment go. He couldn't stay mad at the youngling for long, no one could.

Sideswipe noticed how Bee's human charges, Sam and Michaela, had already approached Rin, all while ensuring Bee stood between them and Sunny. Rin was also between them and himself. Looks like they didn't forget the last time Sunny threatened to turn the male inside out.

While the humans got acquainted, Sideswipe decided to see how the youngling was doing. "So, how's being a fleshy transport suiting you?" he asked with a lopsided grin, to show he meant no real offense.

Bee still warbled his dislike, but answered anyway, :I like college, there's a lot to experience, even in vehicle mode. And since I'm on the mainland, Sam and I can drive wherever we want.: He added the last part smugly, knowing the other 'bots dislike for being stuck in the middle of the ocean, aside from the solitude from civilian humans.

Sideswipe felt his spark tinge a little at the 'experience' comment. Bee was too young to enjoy any of Cybertron before it was ravaged by war. The desolate remains was all he could imagine whenever he thought of their home planet. In a way, Earth was the only welcoming place he an ever been to. Though, not one to let himself feel discouraged, Sideswipe plastered on a wide grin. "Glad to hear it, buddy."

"You're kidding!"

Sideswipe turned to see Rin laughing with the other humans. Well, at least with the other femme, Sam looked nervous as he usually did around Sideswipe and his brother.

The Michaela, nodded her head, "Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. We're lucky he didn't end up on the news."

"Sideswipe," Rin turned to him, brow quirked, "You never told me that."

"What?" he asked, showing no concern over the apparent joke. He was the king of pranks after all. It took a lot to get him embarrassed.

"That you mistook a traffic light for a decepticon." She chuckled at his expense. Still, it didn't seem like a genuine laugh; the musical one he once heard.

Sunny, who remained outwardly quiet and distant around the company, laughed at him over the comm link, :I forgot about that.:

Sideswipe's confidence deflated. "In my defense, it was my first day on the planet and glowing red circles meant ''con' everywhere else." He huffed, but didn't feel too angry. At least everyone was amused. He patted Bee on the back again. "Will ya introduce yourself already?"

To that, the scout crouched down onto his servos and knee joints to greet Rin. His radio crackled to life singing, "Hello again, hello. Just called to say hello."

Rin's grin grew a little more real, likely from the youngling's legendary cuteness. "It's nice to meet you, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe both spoke highly of you."

His faceplates scrunched up in his mouthless smile.

"Hey Bee," Sideswipe called back his attention, "We were about to do some sparring, wanna join in?"

His faceplates fell as he warbled back, eyeing both of the suspiciously.

Sunny grinned darkly, "Don't tell me you've gone soft being around all those humans."

Bee whirred defiantly and pointed to Rin.

"That's different." The yellow twin growled.

Sideswipe patted Bee on the shoulder again. "Come on Bee."

The scout's wings drooped as he looked to his human charges. Upon seeing Sam nod to him, Bee faced the twins again and nodded with more confidence.

The six of them fully entered the training field. Bee's humans stood off at a safe distance.

"Uh, Private Brook?" Sam called to the soldier, "Where's your gear?"

To her credit, and Sideswipe's amusement, she smiled deviously at him. Un-holstering her weapons, she showed them in plain view of the male. "These are all I need," her head jerked towards the 'bots behind her, "to take on these lug nuts."

"Rin." Sideswipe knelt down next to her and thought through his words carefully, "You're still recovering. I don't think you should spar with us."

"What?" she hissed back. Her eyes showed defiance and the fire of a warrior's spark. Sideswipe felt proud, but concerned for her safety.

"Sides is right." Sunny stated, "You'll only slow us down."

She glared herd at him. "So what was the point of walking me here, then?"

Sideswipe tried to intervene, "We wanted to be together as a team, but that doesn't mean we should fight each other yet. We just don't want to hurt you."

Her glare subsided with a few calm blinks and she sighed, mostly to herself, "Fine."

Sideswipe visibly relaxed. "Don't worry. Once Hatchet says you're repaired, we'll go back to our regular training.

"Target practice it is, then." Rin smiled evilly as she, in a split second, changed the cartridge for her pistol.

"Uh, Rin." Sideswipe stood and inched backwards, "Those, aren't paints you put in there." To avoid confusion, the riveted sides of her various ammo cartridges different. The ones for paints were blue, the one she just placed was black.

"I know." She chirped.

"Scrap." Sideswipe dodged the first bullet. She'd also turned up the pulse strength. "Uh, maybe we should try something else." He wasn't quite in the mood to end up in the med bay. Bee just got there and he was hoping to hang out. He wheeled back to make himself a smaller target. One shot pinged against his armor, causing a baseball sized dent.

She turned the weapon up even more. A shot whizzed by his more sensitive leg components, and shattered a small rock not far behind him. The debris sprayed over his back, scratching the paint.

"Whoa Rin! Too much!" he really didn't want to be forced to retaliate.

"Sorry," she stated sarcastically, "I'm just a human who doesn't know anything about limits." A couple more shots rang out from her tiny hand-gun.

Meanwhile, the human spectators watched in shock as she challenged one of the deadliest creatures taking up residence on their planet.

"Alright, I get it," Sideswipe practically pleaded, still dodging each shot, "Just stop it already!"

Rin hummed to him as she holstered her weapon. "I know when I've had too much. I won't do anything stupid."

"Like try to blast my leg off." Sideswipe grumbled. "Fine. It's not like I can stop you, you're more stubborn than Sunny."

"Don't call me that." Said yellow mech snapped back.

Bee played a laugh track as he pointed at Sideswipe. "Dance monkey, dance."

"Watch it." He grumbled to the young 'bot, a warning glint in his optic.

Bee, of course, just stared innocently at him.

"Bumblebee," Rin called as she approached the mech, "how about we go a round?" She unsheathed her blade and got into a ready position, obviously not taking 'no' for an answer.

Bee had worked with human soldiers before. As the gentlest 'bot among them, he was a good 'con stand-in for new recruits. However, those humans worked in teams of five or six against him and wore full body armor. Rin was wearing a grey long sleeve shirt and cargo pants. The 'bot was visually surprised by her challenge and pointed at her chosen weapon, a stuttering male voice came over his radio unit, "I…I don't have my toothpicks."

Rin, seeming to comprehend Bee, grinned defiantly at him. "I've worked just fine with the tools I've got. Ready?"

Without waiting for a response, Rin charged. Bumblebee took a quick sidestep. The smile on Rin's face proved that to be a mistake. She had a skill for corralling her opponents to go exactly where she wanted them. Before his pede could touch the ground, she pulled her pistol and shot at the earth under his pede's shadow. Bee stumbled back, trying to regain his balance. Rin took the opportunity to run between his legs, slicing at the back of his ankle strut. She pivoted before Bee fell back onto his aft. Practically rolling over onto his chassis, Rin pointed her e-blade at his neck cables.

Bumblebee raised his servos in surrender, looking utterly confused as to what had just transpired. Sideswipe couldn't blame him. The youngling was more used to working with human soldiers than the twins were, but Rin was no ordinary soldier. The males on base only used close combat as a last resort, and mainly focused on their mid to long range skills, in order to stay out of the way while providing supporting fire for the autobots. Rin, however, had no qualms about running into the fray. Honestly, Sideswipe was rather proud of his femme.

"Whoa!" Sam placed his hands on his head and stared disbelievingly at the sight of his guardian being owned by a little femme. "You ok, Bee?" he called, but didn't step too close. The male had enough survival instinct to stay out of the way.

Rin climbed off Bee's chassis, allowing him to stand. The 'bot nodded to his charge, but stole a couple of glances to Rin.

Sideswipe lightly scanned her as she got within range of him. He was no medic, but he would be able to at least detect signs of pain. Her heartrate was no higher than it usually was when they sparred. Her facial features showed little signs of discomfort, only slight smugness. Overall, she seemed ok. But knowing her, she could be skilled at hiding such signs from him.

She always kept herself in check; one thing he was hoping to change. Helping her to loosen up would be good for her. That, and getting her to stop hiding her problems. Ratchet had explained to him the painful effects of injured ribs. Most humans would be unwilling to walk with such painful injuries. She had an impressive tolerance to pain. But that did not mean she had to hide it.

"Sorry Bumblebee," she apologized, putting back on her usual mask, "that was a bit unfair. How about another go?" Rin stretched her limbs, seeming excited to have some action after days of stillness. Sideswipe could sympathize.

They paired off. Rin and Bumblebee continued their match while Sideswipe and Sunny exchanged blows. They projected their attacks to each other over the bond. By doing so, they could match the expected move with the physical one. This helped them develop the skill to recognize indicators for oncoming attacks. It was why their reaction speed was superior to most of the autobots, maybe with the only exception of Jazz.

Sideswipe noticed how, after Rin made a successful first impression, she fought at a more subdued pace. Honestly, he was pleased with this. He also didn't fail to notice how quickly Bee's charges became infatuated with his femme. She was rather impressive, Sideswipe admitted to himself. Usually, all eyes were on him and the other Cybertronians, but Rin owned that field. And these humans hadn't even seen her when she's fully healed.

Eventually, when Rin had her fill of Bumblebee, she suggested a switch. Sideswipe gladly challenged Bee, knowing the scout was apprehensive about fighting Sunstreaker. He'd give Rin a light workout afterwards.

Sunny moved to the sidelines to watch, arms crossed over his chassis. Run bounded up to him, the fatigue starting to show in the way she clutched her left side. "Sunstreaker, let's spar for a while." She offered.

Sideswipe paused before he could start with Bee and looked worriedly at Sunny. Those two hardly ever sparred to begin with. Usually, Sideswipe would take him hand to hand while Rin supplied supporting fire, like the other humans on base did. Sunny was not one to hold back in any kind of fight, even with allies. The twins had already decided to minimize his close combat with their human. Also, he was probably the most well armored mech on base, so there were few places where she could even think to attack. Thus, long range tactics were Rin's best option against Sunny. In her condition, taking him on would be suicidal. And they hadn't even planned on her sparring that day to begin with.

Sunny did not hesitate when he stared down at the femme. "No." he answered simply and looked up to watch the coming match.

Rin, however, did not seem to like that answer. "Come on, you can't be tired already." She placed her hands on her hips defiantly. What better way to get a reaction out of Sunny than to question his strength?

He glanced back down at her. "I said 'no'." Then, he silently turned and headed for the other side of the sparring field.

Before Sideswipe could say anything, Rin pulled out her pistol, changed the cartridge, and shot at Sunny, hitting him on the back of the helm. He froze at the sound of the splat. No one moved and the only noises were of the breeze and distant ocean.

Suddenly, Sunny's frame started to rattle with bubbling anger. Over the bond, Sideswipe frantically sent calming feelings, pleading for him to leave it be. He got ready to jump to Rin's rescue, should she need it. But, to his credit, Sunny straightened himself and continued to stalk forward. There was a collective sigh of relief. Then, another splat.

The second paint ball strategically landed on Sunny's right servo. He raised it to see the orange paint on his yellow armor. Sunny really hated the color orange. Sideswipe felt rage flood the bond, and mix with his own emotions. A low growl emanated from Sunny as his raised servo transformed into a cannon.

"You want a fight, squishy?" he turned around, his glare sharp enough to cut a mountain in half. "Then let's fight." Two shots from his cannon obliterated the earth on either side of Rin, who's vision would be shrouded by the dust cloud. Sunny charged after her.

Bee took a step forward to intervene, but Sideswipe placed a servo on his shoulder. "Just wait and see." He reasoned. He could feel that his twin had not entirely lost control and he didn't want anyone else to interfere. Sunny might just do more damage to Bee if he were to step in. Nevertheless, the silver mech was ready to come to Rin's rescue.

The femme dodged and weaved between Sunny's flying limbs and cannon fire. Not attacking, just avoiding. Both her weapons were holstered. Her every focus seemed to be on the mech's well aimed blows. The only contact she made was when she kicked off his leg to evade an arm.

Sideswipe relaxed slightly, he could feel Sunny's recognition of the situation over the bond. Rin wasn't stupid, she knew she couldn't take on mechs like Sunny. He had little to no weaknesses, it's what made him such an effective gladiator, along with incredible skill. Her only goal was to practice avoidance. Sunny's moves started to reflect on this.

He changed up techniques, giving her a variety of moves to avoid. At one point, he raised his pede in a mock attempt to stomp on her, she rolled away, just as his pede slammed against the earth. Sunny kicked it forward, in a continuous attack, but stopped short.

Rin remained crouched down, inches from Sunny's pede. She panted heavily and gripped at her ribs. Her injuries must had been overstressed.

Sunstreaker kneeled down, his servo hovering beside her, fight forgotten. "You're done for today, squishy. No arguments."

Rin nodded, exhaustion finally showing in her labored movements.

Sideswipe looked down at her sadly. Humans really were fragile.

He noticed Bee's charges approach, but kept a reasonable distance with Sunny leaning over Rin. Michaela, whom was far braver, spoke out to her, "Are you alright?"

Rin fully stood, followed by Sunny who also took a few steps back. "I'm alright, just stressed my injuries a bit."

"That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!" Sam burst out. He wasn't the most stoic of humans. "I don't know if you're brave or insane."

"Eh," she shrugged, "maybe a bit of both."

Sideswipe turned his attention away from the humans, and glanced at is brother, who was at a proper brooding distance. The mech had held himself in check during the match. And Sideswipe could swear he saw a smile on his brother's faceplates at some point.

"Well Bee," the elder yellow mech said to the younger, "weren't you and Sides gonna go at it?"

Sideswipe looked at the scout appraisingly. Continuing their match might make Rin feel excluded. That would go against his plan to improve their team relationship. An idea popped in his processor. "How about a race instead?"

The scout nodded his head eagerly and warbled his excitement, he loved racing.

"Great." Sideswipe grinned and turned to Rin, "Wanna come along?"

"Not really." She stated, causing Sideswipe to frown and furrow his optic ridges. He held that sad look until she sighed. "With your handling, I'll end up even more bruises." The comment was lightened by a smile. Sideswipe really liked the way her grin framed the rest of her face. And how the happier she seemed the more teeth she showed. It was cute.

He put on a visage of mock hurt and slapped a servo on his chassis, "Moi? My handling is flawless!"

She chuckled at that. "How about I just cheer you on?"

Sideswipe felt his spark flip oddly. She was going to cheer for him? There was no way he could let himself lose. He turned to Bee, a glint of fire burning in his optics, "Ready?"

Both transformed and revved their engines. Bee's was, admittingly, far louder. His alt mode helped with that. But Sideswipe's was smoother. His scanners showed Rin was still watching him closely, her heart rate spiked slightly when he revved his engine again. His alt mode really was hot. He couldn't blame femmes or mechs of any species or getting excited over it.

:Alright,: he spoke to Bee over their comms, :We'll race to that boulder and back:. He sent and image of the object described to eliminated any confusion.

Bee sent back a ping to show his readiness.

The moment their chromometers started a new minute, they both shot forward. Their tires kicked dust back onto the human spectators. Sunny had keenly steeped away from the 'danger zone' and was whipping off the paint Rin left on him. Half of Sideswipe's attention was on his path, calculating the speed he would need to turn around the marker. The rest of his focus was split between his opponent and Rin, who actually clapped him on.

Bee inched ahead as Sideswipe decelerated slightly. When they hit the boulder, Bee who had better breaks, hit them hard enough to force a controlled fishtail, turning himself around. Only it took an extra second to move forward in the new direction. Sideswipe had slowed enough to drift around the boulder, and keep him momentum towards the goal. Both raced forwards towards the finish line, Bumblebee just inches ahead. What the bug had in engine power, Sideswipe made up for in pure speed. He shot forward, leaving Bee in his dust.

Heading straight towards a smiling Rin, his spark beat with smug satisfaction. In a moment of inspiration, once he passed the finish line, he drifted around Rin, hood inches from her, slowing as he circled like the first time they met. She didn't even flinch. Instead, she gave him a knowing smile as he came to a full stop a few yards behind the humans.

Bumblebee tried to follow his example, but his drift failed and his rear flailed in the wrong direction, heading straight for Rin. Sideswipe transformed, ready to grab her, but he wouldn't make it in time. Time seemed to freeze in that second. Sideswipe could see Rin attempting to jump free of Bee's path, but, like Sideswipe, she was too far delayed.

Suddenly, a flash of yellow obscured her from Sideswipe's view. In that moment, his spark fell. But an unexpected shock of physical pain through his bond, coupled with the horrible scraping of metal on metal, alerted Sideswipe.

Sunny's pede stomped inches in front of Rin as Bumblebee slid straight into it. His tires left the ground as his door and the edge of his roof nearly wrapped around the yellow leg. Sunny gave no ground. He must have used the retractable spikes at the bottom of his pedes to root himself. Bumblebee hit the ground again, frame drooping weakly over his tires.

"Bee!" Sam ran towards his guardian, who slowly wheeled forward.

Sunny had other plans. He grabbed the scout's bumper and lifted it into the air. "What the frag were you doing? You almost crushed the squishy!"

Bee quickly rambled apologies over their comm link, :I'm sorry! It was an accident. It won't happen again. Please let me go.: He practically whined the last one as his charge retreated away from the yellow twin.

Sunny dropped him, the force causing his already cracked side window to shatter. "It better not happen again." He growled. Pivoting on his heels, he turned to see Rin. His optics seemed to scan her for injury. Finding nothing new, he refocused his gaze on Sideswipe. The silvered mech could feel Sunny's anger wasn't sated yet. "And you." He took a threatening step forward. ""Don't teach him to be as fragged up as you are."

Sideswipe was about to retort, but stopped. Deep within their bond, he felt Sunny's worry and relief. He really was scared for their human. He vented built up hot air and sent calming feelings to his twin. "I'm sorry, K?" he stated to both Sunny and Rin.

Sunny was probably hoping for a fight. So with nothing but an apology, he huffed and stalked away for some brooding.

Rin had already stepped around Sunstreaker to see if Bumblebee was alright. He transformed into his root mode and was apologizing profusely in a flurry of radio voices. The youngling didn't look majorly injured aside from his door wing, which was nearly bent in half. That had to be painful for the young Praxian. Sideswipe knew their wings were extremely sensitive. But as a 'bot created in the middle of a warzone, he was tougher than he looked. After a night in the med bay, he'd be just fine.

Rin waved off his apologies and quickly forgave him. She was lucky, though. Had Sunny not been there, she could have been killed.

With the drama aside, Bee and his charges went ahead to the med bay to get his wing repaired. Sunny would have to go there too. His leg looked pretty dented. It was nothing serious, but without the medic's help, the dents would last weeks. That was something Sunny could not stand for. Rin needed to see the Hatchet as well. And he'd likely beat Sideswipe over the helm for letting her get herself hurt. So much for avoiding the med bay.

Sideswipe unsubspaced a water bottle and handed it to Rin. She smiled weakly and thanked him. The process of lifting her arms to receive the drink caused her to wince. He sat down next to her, concern in his optics. "You don't have to push yourself so hard. You'll only get hurt."

She looked down, not meeting his gaze, but Sideswipe could see the determined way she clenched to bottle in her fist. "It's all I can do to keep up with you guys."

"That's a load of scrap and you know it." Sunny grunted.

Rin's eyes shot up to him, but she said nothing.

Sunny glowered back down at her. "If you wanted to keep up, you'd let yourself heal. I wouldn't of had to scrap Bee if you'd been in shape to dodge him. That's on you."

"Sunny." Sideswipe gave him a warning tone,

"No." he cut his twin off, "All she's trying to do is impress everyone. That's why she keeps challenging 'bots to fights. It's to prove she's not just some weak organic." He looked back down to her. "If you want to keep up with us, stop worrying about what everyone else thinks. Their approval isn't worth slag. You want to prove yourself? Then take care of yourself. That means following the Hatchet's advice." His rough tone hid barley masked the sage wisdom he gave her, learnt from vorns in the gladiator pits. "You can't change the fact that you're just a human. Deal with your limitations, don't ignore them. In the meantime, use that clever little mind of yours to think of ways to improve your technique." He pointed a digit at her. "Got it?"

Rin stared wide eyed at him. After a long moment, she finally sighed, a smile playing on her lips. It seemed she was finally starting to see through the yellow mech's harsh words. "Ok, I got it. And I'm sorry for making you worry."

"I wasn't worried, I just knew Prowl would brig me if I let you get hurt again." he looked away, not meeting her eyes. That made Sideswipe smile.

"So," Sideswipe clapped his servos together, "as Sunny said, we should think about your technique."

Sunny shot back, "Don't call me that!"

"What did Bee call your blade? A toothpick?" he laughed at the comparison. "You may be in need of an upgrade."

"But I've only received approval for C grade weapons." She stated. Even given that her blade and pistol were C grade Cybertronian based weapons, Sideswipe knew, Rin's gear was the lowest quality. It was only meant to be used for practice, not actual combat. Rin, however, did not have approval for anything else. "Ironhide had to do a lot of convincing just to get me these." She explained, "Privates usually are not permitted any kind of Cybertronian-based tool."

"Well you a specialist now," he reasoned, "shouldn't that get you something?"

"Not really." She shrugged.

"Ok, we'll put the weapons topic on hold, for now." Sideswipe would need to do some convincing of his own later on. "Well, you're athletic enough to dodge, but that won't do you much good against a wall of bullets flying your way. What about armor?" he suggested, arms crossed.

Rin placed a finger to her chin in a human 'thinking gesture'. It was kind of cute. "We haven't developed much that could help against a Cybertronian. I only have my Kevlar and head gear, basically."

Sunny piped in, "What about a shield. That's not a weapon. Que could make a self-expanding energy barrier."

Her head jerked up. "That sounds like a force field."

Sideswipe grinned madly, "That's because it is a forcefield. A plasma shield would dissipate energon based attacks. Depending on the shield itself, it could also protect against physical attacks ranging up to fifty thousand pounds per square inch. Like in comics!"

Rin stayed in topic, but her eyes lightened with amusement at Sideswipe's comment. "Why don't you all have those?"

"They use a lot of juice," Sideswipe explained, "so most bots would only use them when under direct fire. Also, with our size, the field would be more dispersed. A single one large enough to cover us would sap our energon reserves. Anybot who uses force fields usually has them all over their body. Typically, though, symbiotes or other Cybertronians around your size use them."

"Why haven't we been using them before?" She questioned.

"Up until recently, we've been too low on energon." he responded. "Now that we have a stable source, we can develop more tools for humans. In fact, Que probably already has designs ready. I'll talk to him about it."

Sideswipe could see that Rin's mind was buzzing with plans for different scenarios involving the defensive tool. "Thanks, that could be helpful."

"Maybe he can sneak something in," Sunny suggested, "like a mini kinetic discharge cannon?"

"What?" Rin's eyes widened comically, she seemed to really like that idea.

"I'll ask him about it, but that's a good idea." Sideswipe stood and stretched his arms over his helm. ""I'll drive over there now. Why don't you two go see the Hatchet?"

He transformed and shot off to Que's lab. That way, he would be out of sight when Hatchet goes on the attack. Behind him, he could hear Rin ask Sunny, "So what's up with this cannon?"

* * *

It wasn't often that Erin found herself alone with Sunstreaker. As a result, she found that she was at a loss of what to do or say. They were walking to the med bay, at a slow space. Not only because of Erin's injuries, but the slight limp Sunstreaker walked with. Hardly a single word was exchanged between them since Sideswipe left and it was beginning to feel awkward. They spent so much time together, but once the silver 'bot was gone, they were like strangers. Erin found herself missing the annoying mech. He always seemed to be able to break the ice with his sometimes misplaced humor.

Erin felt a bit relieved when they finally arrive at the side of the autobot hanger. Sideswipe would already be inside, speaking with Que.

Sunstreaker paused outside the door, glancing around.

Erin noticed his change in behavior, and how every few moments his optics would bat over to her. "Is everything alright, Sunstreaker?"

He fully looked down at here, just taking a moment to stare. The weight of his glare only served to make the Specialist even more uncomfortable. Finally, he spoke. "Are you feeling better now?"

Erin blinked dumbly. That was not what she expected. "Yeah, I think the swelling is going down as well."

"Good." His faceplates didn't reveal anything. No sign of relief or disinterest. Just, nothing. "I want to check something out. Hand me your e-blade."

Erin scowled at the command but did as he requested anyway. With some 'bots, it didn't pay to argue. Sunstreaker pinched the hilt of the weapon between two fingers. He took a moment to run his optics over it, but Erin could tell he wasn't scanning it. With a flick of his wrist, he threw it against the wall of the hanger, where it stuck.

"What was that for?" Erin ran up to the wall, looking up to her blade which was embedded forty feet in the air.

Sunstreaker pointed up at it, "Climb the wall and grab it."

"What?" Erin felt incredulous.

"It's too high for me to reach without damaging the wall. It's too far from the roof so reaching down from there won't help you. The only way to get it, is to climb that storm drain." He instructed her with a no nonsense tone, fully expecting her to just comply.

"What the fuck has gotten into you?" Erin seethed. There was no way she was climbing up there. She'd sooner drag Adam or Franky out to do it for her.

"We agreed that you need to figure out your weaknesses while your body recovers. Your fear of heights has got to go." He reasoned, servos on hips, optics commanding here to just do as he says.

"Sunstreaker," Erin rubbed her temples, trying to massage away the stress, "phobias don't just disappear with a single act. Besides, my fears have never stopped me from completing a mission. You've seen me spar and snipe from high places before."

"I can also detect your elevated heartrate all of those times. Once of these days. It's going to be too much. You could get yourself killed. Now, mech up and climb." He again pointed to her intended destination. The blade was only inches from the storm drain. Should she manage to get that high, pulling it out would be a simple task.

Erin sighed in frustration and defeat. The fact that she thought of roping in her male comrades only showed how weak she was. Steeling her nerves, she approached the storm drain. Her hands, having only gripped the metal, were already shaking in trepidation. Sunstreaker was right, this fear had to go.

With expert skill, she pulled herself up. As a woman capable of doing nearly endless pull-ups, ascending a storm drain was a simple task. However, time slowed and her stomach did odd flips as she got higher. In her peripheral, she saw the ground, five feet away, ten feet away. Once she was fifteen feet in the air, her muscles seemed to seize. Her body's shaking actually resounded off the drain and reverberated back into her head, mixing with the sound of her heartbeat.

"Squishy."

The world seemed to come back into focus. All her attention turned away from the blade and the heights and headed towards the voice, only a few feet behind her. Bravely, she turned her head around to meet the optics of Sunstreaker. Her breath was caught in her throat. Though, even if she could speak, she didn't trust herself to say anything comprehensive.

"If you fall, I'll catch you." Erin's eyes widened. Sunstreaker looked back at her with neither amusement nor loathing. He was serious.

After a long moment, Erin finally nodded and turned back to her task. She reached one hand up, using her trained grip to pull her body further. Her heart still beat franticly, her mind still played images of her falling to her death. The fear was still there, but its grip was weakened. She thought of Sunstreaker right below her, ready to stop her fall. He wouldn't let her hit the ground. He'd catch her. Like Cora. A wave of determination passed over her. He was helping her, with something as simple as this. This was nothing for her.

Erin's pace quickened, her vision narrowed on the prize. Instead of tracking her height, she focused on the distance left to travel. Ten feet, seven feet, four feet, one foot. One hand shot out, grabbing her weapon. Twisting the grip, she activated the energon coating, a barely recognizable buzz ran through her fingers. A single strong tug ripped it from the abused metal of the wall. It was a small feat, but Erin still felt pride. She did it. She climbed forty feet to retrieve something. No one was shooting at her. There was no mission. She just climbed.

Bravely, Erin glanced down to Sunstreaker. He stood directly underneath her, optics trained on her form, no doubt ready to jump into action should she lose her grip. It was hard to tell from her distance, but Erin could swear she saw his lip plates quirk ever so slightly.

Moving with care, Erin sheathed her blade and began her descent. Once she finally hit the ground, her legs stopped wobbling and the fear that wrapped around her stomach filtered away.

Sunstreaker nodded his approval. "'Knew you could do it." The statement was less congratulatory and more of a confirmation that he was, in fact, right. "Now, let's get over with it and see Hatchet." He beckoned her to follow him in to the barracks. He even went so far as to hold the large 'bot-sized door open for her to walk through.

Erin couldn't help but feel proud, not only of her own small accomplishment, but of the progress she'd made in befriending the yellow giant. Dare she say it, she was really starting to enjoy her team's company.

Honestly, that scared her a bit. But at the moment, she couldn't remember why. Instead, she was struck with a bit of inspiration. Something Sideswipe would definitely approve of as a great team bonding exercise.

"Sunstreaker," She called the mech's attention, "after we're out of the med bay, I want you to help me with a prank."

* * *

Jazz stepped through the hall, on the way to see his favorite no nonsense stick-up-the-aft friend. Prowl had a bad habit of working himself to the ground. The situation with Mech and Bishop did little to alleviate this. Jazz did what he could to help. In fact, he had just finished testing the new security measures in Que's lab.

Prowl nearly glitched when Brook stated Mech possessed a weapon nearly identical to the one Que was designing. Apparently, the femme had stolen the weapon from Silas, but in her sick state, she lost track of it. A team had already been sent to retrace her path to try and find the weapon. It was odd. Brook was an extremely likely candidate for this mysterious double agent they were trying to track down. She was also, according to Que, the only human who ever saw the weapon he was creating. However, it was only a model prototype. She would not have been able to recreate any designs from what she saw. Only Cybertronians can open the door to Que's lab, so a human spy would require a 'bot's help to take the design specs. No one thought Que capable of betraying the autobots, but all possibilities must be considered. Investigating their own team was not pleasant for either Prowl or Jazz.

That was precisely why Jazz took the initiative to drag the SIC out of his office. Sometimes, he would take Prowl up to the Lennox household for some relaxation and energon. Other times, he would take him to one of their berth rooms and force him to sleep, under supervision to ensure he didn't sneak in a data pad for work. On that particular occasion, however, Jazz intended to take his friend on a drive around the island. Summer was beginning to fade away, bringing in cool ocean breezes. It was the perfect weather for a calming drive.

It didn't take much processing power to know where the SIC would likely be at that particular moment. Jazz rounded the corner to the stretch of hallway leading to Prowl's office. He stopped short, however, upon seeing the black and white mech lying still on the ground. In an astrosecond, the saboteur analyzed the situation. No dangers were present, Prowl showed obvious signs of life, and his helm was sparking.

A fond smile played on his lip plates. What could have made the mech glitch this time? He looked around the space, approaching the unconscious 'bot. His optics caught something attached to the SIC's door. It appeared to be some kind of plaque made of the side of a shipping crate. The painted letters were impressively neat, too neat for a certain silver prankster. The sentence on it was simple, but still made Jazz laugh at the absurdity of the situation.

"This sentence is false."

* * *

Bumblebee's quotes are from Rain Man and Hello Again by Neil Diamond


	21. Chapter 21

**Hello, my dear readers! Sorry this is so late, but it's here now.**

 **Thank you to my reviewers; KEZZ 1, lilykitty99, Cinematronix, SoulusPrimeLightblast, and CherryVanillaCoke.**

Chapter 21

It was one thing for Sideswipe to ask Erin to join him for monitor duty, it was another entirely when Sunstreaker asked her.

Erin had just laid down for some precious sleep when a message popped up on her data pad from Sunstreaker.

-In monitor room, come if you want.-

To say it was unexpected was an understatement. Usually, if the twins wanted her to come by, Sideswipe would be the one to message her. Or he'd just randomly pop up and grab her, literally.

Kidnapping had become a common occurrence on the base, so no one paid any attention when Sideswipe swooped in, seized her, and disappeared with the roar of his engine cutting out Erin's curses.

Since Erin thought of it, Sunstreaker had never actually sent any kind of communication to her data pad before. On top of that, with his twin having just gotten off of monitor duty himself, Sideswipe would be asleep, or close to it. So Sunstreaker just wanted her to be there. Why? She'd only been alone with him a handful of times. The first of which was when he threatened her. Although last time was interesting. Did he just want to hang out? Erin had a suspicion he secretly enjoyed their time together, watching his twin play video games with her.

She could just say no; she was, after all, already in bed. She had a decent excuse. But something about turning the mech down seemed wrong.

-I'll be there in 20.-

She crawled out of bed, minding her sore body, and changed into something more presentable. Squaring herself away, she strode out on the now familiar path to the monitor room.

It was a bit of a walk between the barracks and the hanger inhabited by the 'bots. But the night was cool and the stars added a sense of serenity. The sky was mostly clear, only a few black masses shrouding the navy sky. The waning moon provided enough light to guide Erin on a safe path. If she strained her ears, she could hear the calm waves of the ocean. Erin had an odd desire to go swimming. At such a late hour, no one would be by the beach, she could have it all to herself. But, maybe next time. She already had a commitment to keep.

The soldier continued on, entering the main hanger where Sunstreaker would be, passing the still open hole from her E-blade. Erin passively hoped the yellow mech didn't try to take it again. She was quite fond of the weapon and kept it close.

As Erin rounded the corner towards the M.R., she heard the distinctive footsteps of a Cybertronian approach.

"Specialist Brook." The voice was not quite a greeting or recognition of presence. It was not bred in surprise either. There was something else, well controlled, hidden in his tone.

Erin looked up to her new hallway companion. "Good evening Prowl."

The mech didn't so much as nod in recognition. His optics, lighter than usual, bore into her. "What would you be doing here at such a late hour?" he questioned.

Erin got the feeling he was looking for a report, more so than a simple courteous greeting. She stood straight, shoulders back. "Sunstreaker asked that meet him in the monitor room. He didn't give a reason."

Prowl's optics dimmed, no doubt a sign he was comming Sunstreaker for confirmation. As his optics brightened, his faceplates displayed genuine surprise. It seemed he thought the warrior's request for companionship was just as odd as Erin thought.

"Well, have nice evening Specialist Brook." He dismissed himself politely, turning on his heels and left the same way he came.

It was so sudden, the Specialist barely had time to process what just happened. Why was everyone acting so oddly that night?

* * *

Sunstreaker sat as comfortably as he could in the M.R chair. His focus was on one screen in particular. It displayed the squishy heading down the hallway to meet him. Honestly, he wasn't even sure what prompted him to request her presence. Sideswipe would have stayed with him, had he asked. His twin wouldn't get much rest with his other half being awake anyway. In fact, the squishy should be sleeping as well, but he hadn't even considered it until after he messaged her. She should have just said 'no' and gone into recharge. Instead, she headed straight over, until Prowl intercepted her.

The SIC had commed him, asking if he really invited her over, as if it was unimaginable. Sunstreaker couldn't get himself to admit asking a human to hang out with him, but he did admit she was heading over to him. He would have preferred no one knew. It's not that he was embarrassed, of course not. It just wasn't anyone's fragging business.

After that, he watched the squishy's progress on the monitor. Any sign of exhaustion she should of displayed was absent. She was almost there. He had half a thought to go meet her, but he quickly quelled it. She was a mature femme. She didn't need an escort. Right as he finished that thought, he saw Erin stop from yet another interruption. This time, it was another human. A male, from what the yellow warrior could tell. He looked vaguely familiar, but Sunstreaker didn't exactly know the names or faces of most of the fleshies on base. With the system they had in place, he couldn't hear what they were saying, the monitoring equipment was too close to the briefing room so no outside recording equipment was allowed. However, he could read their body language. The squishy had her arms crossed, while her face wasn't visible, her tapping foot told Sunstreaker she was not amused by whatever her fellow human was saying.

Meanwhile the male stood casually, one hand in a pocket, a cocky grin on his face. He stepped close to her, free hand reaching out. The squishy didn't move as he rested a hand on her back, but she remained rigid. The male's flirtations, quite obviously, were unreciprocated.

A small growl emanated from Sunstreaker's vocalizer as he watched the squishy push the male's hand off only for him to peruse further. She didn't need this fleshy harassing her.

Without fully considering his actions, Sunstreaker stood from his seat and stepped out, only a short hallway and a turn from the squishy. Before he rounded the corner, he could make out what they were saying.

"Come on, Sweet, just one beer. Don't leave a guy hanging."

Erin's tone remained collected. "I don't think it's a beer you're looking for." A hint of concern appeared in her voice, "What's up with you, Franky? This isn't like you."

"I just want to hang out. What else could be so important at this hour?"

That was Sunstreaker's que to step out. "Squishy, what's taking you so long?" he called, Optics instantly narrowing on his partner's harasser.

The male's back went rigid at the sound of the mech's voice. Every human knew the sound of it. Frozen in his spot, he didn't turn as Sunstreaker approached from behind.

The squishy gave him a knowing frown and a nod of acknowledgement before turning back to the male. "I'm meeting with Sunstreaker." She walked straight up to him, practically standing under him. "Unless you have a problem with that?" Her arms crossed, miming Sunstreaker's own stance.

The male jumped back, hands waving frantically through the air. "Nope, absolutely not. No problem here! You two have fun… whatever you're doing." His hands dropped to his sides as Sunstreaker let out an almost imperceptible growl. "I'm, uh, I'm gonna go."

Sunstreaker closely watched the male's retreat until he and the squishy were finally alone.

She turned to him, slight smile on her face. "You came right on time."

His optics narrowed down at her as he stepped back from over her. "That fleshy been bothering you lately?"

She shook her head, noting the hint of aggression in his tone. "No, he's usually not like that. Sure, he's a bit of a flirt, but I don't know why he was acting so oddly." Her eyes widened with a hint of realization. "Now that I think of it, I'm not even sure what he was doing here. His tasks don't coincide directly with that of the autobots, and he's terrified of you guys." She placed a finger on her lips as she thought about the situation.

Sunstreaker couldn't have cared any less about the affairs of humans. "Just let me know next time, alright?"

The squishy focused back on the mech. "Thanks… Sunstreaker. It's nice to know you've got my back."

"Yeah, whatever." He grumbled, turning away, "Come on, I have to get back."

The squishy walked so quietly behind, Sunstreaker had to turn and check whether she was following.

When they got to the monitor room and Sunstreaker settled down, it became apparent to him that he had no idea what to do with her. Asking her to join him was so spur of the moment, he hadn't thought it through.

He watched her climb the autobot-sized chair and subsequently jump onto the textbaord. After the squishy settled herself, an awkward silence started. It was apparent that she was expecting him to speak, given that he had invited her, but he had no idea what to say. He could only pretend to be focusing on the monitors for so long.

Out of habit, his digits sated to trace invisible images over the purple-tinted textboard.

The squishy quickly caught on to the subtle movements. She silently tracked his motions, greyish eyes narrowing as the unseen image became more clear.

"What are you thinking about?" she motioned towards the nonexistent canvas.

The question piqued his interest. The squishy had already proven her analytical and comprehension skills. Perhaps he could test her a bit. "What do you think?"

"Is it a building of some type?" the question was oddly innocent, almost adolescent in its delivery. However, her eyes were focused, deciphering what she tracked.

Sunstreaker's lip plates quirked over so slightly. "How can you tell?"

"You are using straight lines, so it's something manufactured." She explained.

"Not bad. What else can you tell?" he pushed.

She paused, looking up at him. "I'm not sure."

"What about how the strokes were made?" Sunstreaker prompted.

"Well, the vertical ones are long while the horizontal ones are short, so it's likely some kind of skyscraper."

He sighed, that's really the best she could do? "That's not what I mean."

"Care to explain?" the squishy quirked her brow.

Instead, he posed the question differently. "What is the intention behind each action in creating the image?"

"To create it?" she said flatly.

"Figures, you can only see so far." He scoffed.

Her eyes softened, looking taken aback. "I'm sorry? Did I say something offensive?"

"Just forget it." The warrior grunted.

"But, wait." She waved his attention back. "I don't understand what you mean, but maybe if you could explain it to me-"

"Don't bother. Hardly anyone understands it." No one cares about art any way. The squishy could analyze, but she put no emotion into her considerations. She'd never understand it.

"If you give me a chance, maybe I could as well." If there was one thing Sunstreaker could describe about his human partner, it would be her uncanny determination.

He looked down at her, holding the gaze in her eyes. He saw curiosity. Sort of. It was more like the need to know. She was always asking questions, as if one of the answers she received would one day save her life. She respected information. Sunstreaker vented inwardly. "Consider the emotion of the artist while he produces a piece. Each brushstroke has a purpose, more than just creating an image."

"But isn't the point of art to make a picture?" she asked plainly.

"Of course not!" he burst, offended by the mere thought of it. He put far more into his art than just making a picture. "There's a difference between simply painting or drawing and _art_."

Her brows furrowed in her lack of comprehension. "And that is?" she prompted.

"Figure it out yourself." He waved her off, trying to get off the topic before he blew a fuse. He asked her to be there for company, not to yell at her.

The squishy seemed to take the hint and let the subject drop.

Even with the personal topic away, conversation was still difficult between them without Sideswipe present. They both seemed to search for things to say to the other. Sunstreaker's tendency to give short answers didn't help. But the squishy seemed determine to ask more than tell. When Sunstreaker pointed it out, the squishy apologized and recommended a game Sideswipe introduced when he did monitor duty in her company. They each got a turn to ask a question. After that, things got less awkward and conversation flowed more easily.

"How exactly did you arrive on earth?" the squishy asked, already appearing more relaxed, legs crossed and head cocked to the side.

"Sides and I were launched in stasis landing armor." He explained upon seeing her confused stare, "It's a thin 'smart' armor that coats our entire frames. It's programed with a meteor-like alt mode that can use gravity pulses to move us through space. The drawback is that it knocked us into stasis. We could only be woken up after reaching our destination, coming across a threat, or time wearing away at the armor."

"So that's what the whole falling in a meteor thing came about." She smiled.

"Yeah," he grinned back, "My turn, squishy. When did you start your combat training?" Sunstreaker knew that humans, like Cybertronians before the war, tended to live peaceful, civilian lifestyles. But a fleshy with that much skill requires early exposure.

She scowled playfully, "That's a boring one. I joined JROTC in high school, four years ago. But I took military style self-defense classes since I was six, sixteen years ago."

He hummed at that. "The mechs on this base all have at least five vorns combat experience and you still hold up to them."

"How did you get your start?" she prodded.

He paused to consider the question. His and Sides' pasts certainly weren't secrets from the 'bots on base. In fact, it was a point of shame for them. Gladiators weren't exactly considered trustworthy, or just worthy. He'd assumed Ironhide had shared their nefarious past with her. "We learned to fight on the streets, for defense at first."

She gave him a knowing frown. "Bad neighborhood?"

"The worst." He conceded.

"What did you mean by 'at first'?" she waved two fingers on each hand up and down. Sunstreaker knew it was some kind of physical communication humans used, but he couldn't remember what it meant.

She shook his helm. "You've already asked two questions, now it's my turn."

"Fine," she groused quietly, "shoot."

"What?" Sunstreaker felt a bit taken aback. What did she want him to do?

"Shoot, it means 'go ahead'." She explained quickly noticing the confusion.

His optic ridges furrowed. "You humans are so weird."

"By the way," she added, "I count that as a question, so you have one more and we're even."

"Frag it, squishy." The warrior cursed, still taking a moment to glance at the monitor screens.

"Ask away." She said in a sing song voice.

"Fine!" he thought about what to ask her. She deflected most of the personal questions he sent her way, but with so little that he knew about her past, his curiosity was swelling. "You said you were raised by caretakers. Were you in a detention center or something?" The question sounded more private than it was. In reality, he just wanted to know if she was a trouble maker growing up.

To her credit, the squishy barely blinked at the personal nature to the question. "No, it was a regular foster home. My parents gave me up after I was born so I spent most of my life there."

Sunstreaker's optics widened. "What do you mean they gave you up?" he hissed.

"That's your third question, it's my turn again." She quickly turned away from the subject.

"Explain." He replied shortly.

The squishy paused, looking up into his intense optics. He was not playing around. Her eyes turned sad. "All I know is that my parents, whomever they were, left me outside a firehouse. I don't know why."

Sunstreaker already hated humanity as a whole, but the fact that members of the species seemed willing to abandon their creation… it was unthinkable. Creators sacrificed everything for their sparklings. It was in their base coding.

The squishy seemed to take noticed of his inner seething, and raised her hands, trying to placate him. "It's ok, Sunstreaker. I'm not upset about it. For all I know, my mother could have left me for my own safety. Maybe her home life was unstable and she knew it was best that someone else took care of me. I was dropped near publicly trusted people, so she must have cared on some level."

"But they weren't best, the ones who took you!" he'd lost some sense of control, shouting at the victim over the wrongs done to her. "Sideswipe told me what you said about them, how they treated you. It didn't even take that for me to know someone fragged you up at some point!"

Her wide eyes narrowed. "I'm the fragged up one? Take a look in the mirror lately? I don't boil over for no reason!"

"You're reason enough!" he shouted. The squishy recoiled at his admission, but Sunstreaker wasn't done. "When someone walks over you, you are supposed to get mad. You should be furious over the wrongs done to you! When someone threatens, it's your job to get mad. And when someone does it to your friends, it's your job to protect them!"

There was a pregnant silence before the squishy's lips quirked slightly. "Did Sideswipe say you remind me of someone?"

"Yeah." He sat back down, not knowing when he left his chair to begin with. "You're sister." He whispered, knowing of the sensitivity of the subject.

"Thanks." Her head lowered so he couldn't see her expression that well. "It's nice to hear sometimes."

Sunstreaker didn't know what to say. She's dead, move on? Sorry for your loss? Don't compare me to a fragging fleshy? Every option was either insensitive or wouldn't sound genuine. Sideswipe would know what to say. He wouldn't have yelled at her twice already.

The squishy leaned back, all signs of hostility lost. "So, you _do_ think of us as friends?" she asked innocently.

Sunstreaker's optics narrowed, fury melting from his energon lines. "Is that your question?"

She grinned and nodded.

* * *

It was a long night, one which Sunstreaker was not likely to repeat, mostly due to the fact that he had completely neglected his job. Monitor duty may be boring as frag but base security was essential.

The squishy was so exhausted, she dozed off. Sunstreaker wasn't surprised, she always worked herself to the brink of passing out each day. Staying up till 0400 hours would be difficult for her.

Sunstreaker decided to allow her to remain in recharge for the remainder of the time. It actually allowed him to focus on the task at hand. Eventually though, when his shift was over, he was left with an unconscious human on his textboard. He could just wake her up and send her on her way. But she looked so peaceful curled up on her side, mouth left slightly open after a half-sparked yawn. And it was so trusting of her to fall into recharge in his presence. Every other human on base, even Captain Lennox, kept at least one eye on him at all times.

He could just carry her to the human barracks. If he's careful, she wouldn't wake up.

Not remembering any reason why he wouldn't want to, he reached down to grab the small form. Once his servo was within inches of her, the squishy's eyes snapped open. In a flash, she was on one knee, e-blade extended towards Sunstreaker's appendage, pistol aiming for one of his optics.

Both woman and mech froze for a split second as the squishy blinked awake to the situation. Her tired eyes widened as she quickly holstered her weapons. "Sunstreaker! Sorry, you surprised me. I'm a pretty light sleeper." She tried to explain.

"I can see that!" he snapped in a half sparked manner. "Do you always wake with guns blazing? I feel bad for your mates if that's the case."

"I would have remembered sharing a bed when I woke up." She explained as if he should have already realized that. "Sorry again, it's a habit from my prior training. Instructors would attack us in our sleep, it helped us become battle ready at any given moment."

"I think your instructors were missing a few vital cranial components." He only half joked. Seriously, she was fragged up.

"I wouldn't disagree with that." She stated simply.

"Well, my shift is off, so you should be getting back to your room now." He made a shooing motion.

"Alright." She stretched her arms up. Sunstreaker could hear a few 'cracks' as she did so. He shuddered a bit at the sound. Humans were so weird. The squishy stood near the edge of the board and glanced down, pausing just for a moment as she analyzed her distance from both the ground and the chair below her. It would be a simple distance to jump for someone like her. Ten feet to the ground.

Sunstreaker waited to see what she would do. If she asked for help, he'd oblige, but he wanted the squishy to decide her own progress at this point.

With a small lean forward, she jumped down to the chair, only a few feet below. One more jump brought her to the ground. All signs of exhaustion was gone, replaced by the faint acceleration of her heartbeat. While she wasn't looking, Sunstreaker nodded his approval and stood to walk her out.

Sunstreaker looked down the corridor that would lead to his and Sides' berthroom. He was ready for some descent recharge. A quick glance at the squishy showed her to be alert. However, upon closer inspection, her shoulders were dropped, head lowered. Overall, she looked exhausted.

He wouldn't be much of a mech to just leave a femme of any species alone in this state. So, with a heavy sigh, he resolved himself to walk her home.

"Come on," he called to her, "let's get you back."

Instead of arguing that she didn't need his help, she fell into step with him. Her pace was normal, but her eyes were half closed. She blinked slowly and a tired frown formed on her face. To Sunstreaker, she looked almost like a sparkling fighting off recharge.

Both mech and woman stayed silent as they strolled over the dusty ground. Sunstreaker kept his focus mainly on the sky above them; partly out of habit, partly out of longing. Even though the planet's sky was polluted by light, it showed far more stars than his home planet did. Cybertron was too far to see, but he knew the direction it was in. A triangle of small but bright stars guided his optics. In the center of it would be the direction of the dead world.

He vividly remembered the bright shining cities, even more beautiful in the processor of a youngling. It wasn't until he and Sides had started earning credits in the gladiator pits that they left Kaon for the first time and visited Crystal City in the Iacon city state. It was there where he sold his first piece of art.

A fond smile ghosted across Sunstreaker's faceplates. Sideswipe, the hustler that he was, claimed it was created by some made up artist by the name of Skyracer. With that, they'd gotten enough credits to extend their trip by an Orn.

He was so far from that life. Sure, it was rough. He had to fight for survival. But they weren't refugees on a primitive filthy planet. His scowl returned, thinking of just how far his race had fallen. Sideswipe took it much better than he did, falling back on humor to cut through the grief. Sunstreaker was just angry, and rightfully so.

The growling of an engine tore Sunstreaker from his inner thoughts. Mirage was cruising towards them, no doubt having just finished his patrol.

The Ferrari pulled to a stop by the walking pair and transformed into the elitist himself. "Ciao, Sunstreaker. Taking your po' umano on a walk?" he sneered.

"What's that supposed to mean, you useless hood ornament?" he growled back, sizing up the sleeker mech.

The red 'bot, cocky as ever, leaned to his side, casually crossing his arms. He cleanly switched to their native cybertronian, _"I'm just surprised, a ruffian such as yourself would have such a soft spot for pets."_

Sunstreaker growled, _"Well this_ pet _can crush your tin aft anytime. You might want to learn some respect."_ He grabbed the mech by a armor seam on his chassis. Sunstreaker could feel a sensory wire under his crushing grip. Mirage hissed him pain. "I'd be happy to teach 'ya." He threatened, itching for the infiltrator to reciprocate so he could beat the slag out of him already.

Unwisely, Mirage met his steely glare and spat back, _"At least your pet seems more cultured. She knows her place below the Cybertronian hierarchy, with only a small space next to gladiator retrorats."_

The yellow warrior reared back to beat the smugness out of the mech, but a shout made him pause. He looked down to the squishy who stood fully alert, shooting the mechs with a steely glare.

"Save it for later, Sunstreaker," she commanded. Her eyes batted over to the red mech. "Mirage, vaffanculo." He looked aghast at such treatment. He stammered for a coherent response but the femme cut him off with a raised hand. "If you have a problem, we'll discuss it later. But stay out of my way." she warned. Mirage clamped his jaw shut, only returning the squishy's gaze for a moment before looking away.

"If you'll excuse me," the infiltrator muttered, "I have a patrol to finish." Without another word, he transformed and shot off. After a quick turn around the corner, the only evidence of his presence was the hum of his engine and the distancing red glow from his tail lights.

Sunstreaker stared after him and huffed to himself. He was hoping to use Mirage to let off some steam, Primus knows the fragger deserved it.

"Come on Sunstreaker," the squishy called his attention back down, "you can beat him up in training later."

The warrior growled, "You didn't understand what he was saying, the fragger deserves a crushed nasal plate.

His companion's eyes narrowed, and she faced him defensively. "I know he's a prick. I know he thinks he's superior. Whatever disparaging thing he said about you or me or the both of us doesn't matter. No one cares about what he says anyway."

"Whatever." Sunstreaker grumbled, not willing to agree with her words. "Next time, though, how about I hold him while you stab?" he thought wistfully of an apologetic and leaking Mirage.

The squishy brightened a bit at the humor of his statement. "If the crime is fitting of the punishment."

Sunstreaker's lip plates quirked slightly. "Fine, but I'm going to hold you to that. Now, let's get you back to your berth."

* * *

"Hey." Sides greeted as Sunstreaker slipped through the threshold, yanking the door shut behind him.

"Hey." He answered back, more focused on inspecting his armor under the different lighting. "You're awake." He observed.

"Had trouble staying in recharge. I figured since we have tomorrow off, I'd just wait for you to join me and we could sleep in. Maybe catch Rin on her way out from her second refueling."

"The squishy said Ironhide wanted to use her for a demonstration." Sunstreaker informed him.

"But she's still recovering." Sides furrowed his optic ridges. "Wait, when did she say this?"

Sunstreaker shrugged, moving to sit on his berth. "She said it'd be nothing too physical for her to handle."

"Ok," the silver mech approached from behind him, wrapping arms around his broad chest-plated twin, "but you didn't answer my question."

"She sat in with me for monitor duty." Sunstreaker scowled, knowing his brother would likely get jealous. He liked the squishy's company too much for his own good.

Sides relaxed his arms, letting them drop a little. "You two hung out together?"

"Is that wrong?" the yellow mech sighed, missing the contact.

Sides jumped back up to his pedes and ran around the berth, dropping back down next to his twin. "No, that's great, actually."

"Just go to recharge already, slagger." Sunstreaker physically, but gently, pushed his brother off the berth.

The silver mech quickly recovered, the fond smile on his faceplates faltered. "Sunstreaker… do you like her?" he asked cautiously.

He huffed at the question, "I don't like humans."

"But do you like _her_?" Sides pushed.

Sunstreaker glared at his brother. The mech obviously had something on his mind. "What do you mean by that? Why are you saying it like that?"

The sly smile that Sides let break free was tell enough.

Anger boiled inside the yellow warrior, quickly spilling over in a litany of profanities, "Primus you fragging glitched creation of a rabid turbofox!"

"She'd be your creator too!" Sides laughed, taking some kind of sick humor in his brother's reaction.

Sunstreaker ran a servo down his faceplates. "Primus below, why do you have to be my brother?"

"You aren't denying it." He said in a sing song voice.

That caused Sunstreaker to flinch. His words were full of venom, "What's your malfunction? There is no way I would ever find a fleshy even remotely attractive in any form. Only a two-bit slag-sucking aft-head would ever consider such a thing."

Sides frowned, optics narrowing. "You aren't calling her _un_ attractive, are you?"

"Primus." He moaned, wishing he never heard this, "You can't actually be thinking what I think you're thinking."

"You're an artist," he shrugged, moving back to his own berth, "do you consider only Cybertronians beautiful? What about the mithril sea or the rainbow storms over the Torque Flats?"

"Shut up you fragging scrap-heap!" Sunstreaker practically roared, not concerned whether he woke any recharging mechs. "Those things are in no way related! One is a pretty view and the other is a slimy, oil filled meat sack!"

Crossing his arms, Sides glared hard at his brother. "I know you don't really think of her that way."

Sunstreaker scoffed, "And how do you think of her?"

"She's a friend!" Sides waved his servos around, accentuating his point, "I actually like my friends." He added in a quick mumble, "And I can acknowledge when someone of another species has certain… markers that are in their favor."

"I can't listen to this." Sunstreaker stood and headed to the door. If he stayed any longer they'd both end up in the med bay, then probably the brig.

"Aw come on," Sides tried to reason walking up behind him, "it's not like I'm attracted to her. At the very least she looks more cute than ugly, can't you at least admit that?" he asked desperately.

"Humans are _not_ cute." He shot over his shoulder.

Sides huffed in frustration. "Aren't you tired of hating them?"

"No!" Sunstreaker whipped around. "We are stuck on this Primus forsaken planet, surrounded by these tiny, useless organics, fighting over whatever scraps are left from this war."

Sides sat back on his berth, energy seeming to be depleted. "Then shouldn't we at least be grateful whenever something good comes into our lives. You just need to recognize it."

Sunstreaker couldn't listen to any more of this. "I'm going for a drive, don't wait up for me." He stormed out, cooling vents furiously trying to calm his stressed frame, leaving his brother alone in the dark room.


	22. Chapter 22

Hello, I've gotten some great reviews recently. As always, feel free to let me know how you feel about the story, or if you have any ideas or guesses as to what may happen in the future.

Thank you to my reviewers; ImpartingAbyss, (Guest), Cinematronix, TomRiddlesTwin, SolusPrimeLightblast, gaudadominguez4, CherryVanillaCoke, Nevermorea, and KEZZ

Enjoy!

Chapter 22

Mission report.

Data gathering in progress.

Files included:

File A: Monitoring capabilities

File B: Copy of emergency evacuation plans

File C: Information regarding Alison Wallace.

Note: Financial Controller of N.E.S.T

Analysis of Autobot team. Bumblebee

Scout. Eighteen feet tall. Yellow with black racing stripes. Custom 2006 Chevrolet Camaro vehicle form. Combat ability: skilled, but considered young and inexperienced for his species. Known weapons: energon cannon formed from each hand- number of shots depends on energon in system. Manipulation: highly unlikely. Guardian over human named Samuel Witwicky. Mainly lives with human in Washington D.C. Recommendation: possible engagement.

Analysis of Autobot team. Sunstreaker

Gladiator. Twenty feet tall. Yellow. 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo vehicle form. Combat ability: extremely skilled. Known weapons:, energon cannon formed from one hand- number of shots depends on energon in system. Skilled in hand to hand combat. Manipulation: unlikely, unsatisfied with status on earth, socially distant from teammates. Recommendation: highly dangerous, avoid.

* * *

Erin crept between crushed vehicles, careful to avoid stepping on shattered glass. The rusted walls of compacted cars stretched three times her height. There was plenty of cover.

-I'm in position- she whispered over her radio.

Pulling a small device out of her pack, she aimed it near the compactor itself. On the screen, two distinctive heat signatures were visible. Their sparks glowed a bright white, tapering off into a red and yellow glow around the rest of their frames.

-I've got two, southeast of Sideswipe. 300 meters- She reported.

-Any movement?- The silver warrior questioned.

-Negative- Erin responded. They could be recharging, or keeping still with purpose.

-Can you get an I.D?- Sunstreaker asked.

-Negative, I don't have visual.- The soldier couldn't get any closer without risking her position. Some mechs had far stronger senses and could detect a human like her quite easily. -Targets look approximately 6 tons each. Lying down, but don't seem to be transformed. No vehicle modes to confirm.-

-Big mechs, huh?- Sideswipe quipped.

-Formation 6?- Erin surveyed.

-Sounds good to me.-

-Let's just kick their afts already.-

-You're up, Sideswipe.- She called.

Erin grinned, ready for a fight. It was their third mission together, after being a team for just over four months. Only a week prior, they had left their base to stop a decepticon attack on an oil refinery. However, when they arrived, the place was torn apart and the 'cons had already fled. They had finally tracked down the perpetrators an the trio did not plan on letting them escape. That's why the three of them were to apprehend the 'cons while N.E.S.T soldiers formed a perimeter, ready to strike should they attempt to escape or head for a populated city.

Erin ran from her cover, towards the wall that divided her and the targets. As soon as she reached it, she heard the telltale sign of Sideswipe zipping through the junkyard; the 'shink' of his blades slicing through the unsuspecting enemy.

She whipped around the wall of junk as Sideswipe shot by her.

Two large creatures stared after the front liner. Erin fired off four rounds to bind them. After that second, she could fully realize just what she was looking at. Her eyes widened in astonishment.

Sideswipe's comm shouted over her radio, -Sunny, be careful, they're insecticons!-

The creatures, a giant beetle and grasshopper, thrashed wildly, scratching at their faces where the bullets destroyed their optics.

-I've been wanting to test my metal against these bastards again!- Sunstreaker smashed through the wall behind the 'cons, causing rusted junk to topple onto them. He jumped onto the grasshopper's back and pounded furiously at his helm.

They were far larger than the twins and appeared to have thicker armor. The grasshopper screeched wildly as it thrashed, trying to dislodge Sunstreaker. Sideswipe whipped past Erin again, going for the beetle.

"Rin!" He sent over the comm, "Stick to back up fire, you don't want to face these bastards!" He then leaned low on his wheels as he whipped around, slicing one of the large purple legs before him.

With no time to argue, Erin took cover. She closely watched their prey. They used no formal technique, only animalistic attack and defense. She could see that they were powerful. The beetle twisted around, using a back leg to fling Sideswipe across the yard. He landed with a heavy crash.

The beetle 'con's mandibles dripped with a greenish fluid as he spoke, "Autobots, autobots weak, weak."

Erin fired off a round of energon bullets to distract the beast while Sideswipe recovered. It cried out but didn't retreat. Instead, the purple 'con turned towards her. "Shrapnel smells, smells organic, organic. Smells, smells tasty."

Erin took a few steps back, feeling a rare sense of apprehension. -Uh, guys? Cybertronians don't eat humans, right?- The blind monster leaped as Erin ran for new cover.

Sunstreaker's response did nothing to quell her nerves. -Insecticons will consume anything they get their servos on.- He grunted as he held on to his opponent. -Stay back, squishy.-

Too slow, Erin found herself surrounded by the massive, sharpened, beetle legs. She heard it's screeching call, "Shrapnel smell, smell organic, organic."

Apparently, these things didn't need to see. Erin changed the cartridge in her weapon and fired off high powered rounds at the creature's joints. The 'con swung its helm down, trying to bite her.

She unsheathed her blade and planted it in the side of its mandible. It pulled back, screeching, taking her blade with him. She ran out from under him, towards Sideswipe, firing back at the beetle, going through another clip. Her shots didn't seem to have enough of an effect.

A crash to her side alerted Erin of Sunstreaker's predicament. The grasshopper 'con had rolled over, knocking off the yellow mech. It then pinned him to the ground. Sunstreaker wrestled with it, trying to keep its jaws away from his neck cables.

Sideswipe jumped up and skated towards his twin's aid, knocking over the 'con. Just as the yellow 'bot was able to stand, a large metal mass crashed down from the sky, tackling Sunstreaker. It appeared to be another scar-faced beetle-looking 'con, churring at the smaller warrior. The grasshopper recovered and started to wrestle with Sideswipe. Both mechs looked as if they were barley holding off the bug-formers.

This was bad, the twins were fighting with everything they had, but it wouldn't be enough. The beasts were massive.

Erin darted across the rusted pile left from Sideswipe's crash landing. She needed to get away from this thing, none of her weapons were strong enough for anything besides combat support.

The beetle started to dig away at Erin's hiding place. "Want to taste, taste."

She checked her gear, only one cartridge left and the one still in her gun only had one remaining shot.

-Guys, I'm almost out of ammo, how do we take these guys down?- Erin didn't bother concealing her communications, there was no time.

Erin could hear Sideswipe's exertion over the coms, "They… have thick armor… but weaker protoforms. Hit 'em hard and it'll… do some damage underneath."

"Just stay back, squishy. Make sure they don't leave the perimeter. We already commed Wheeljack, he's moving in with a group of fleshies. The explosives they're packing should give us an edge."

Erin chanced a glance around to them. The grasshopper managed to slip around, away from Sideswipe and bashed at his abdomen, knocking him over. The second beetle 'con used its middle set of legs to uppercut on Sunstreaker, sending him crashing to the ground. Both mechs were held down by a pair of pointed bug arms. Sunstreaker tried to wrap his legs around a back leg to trip his opponent. Meanwhile, Sideswipe placed his wheeled pedes against the other one's leg, running his tires, like he was trying to burn the appendage. Both bugs faltered, but only Sideswipe was able to break through. He fought the bug back with well-placed slices from his blades. The beetle over Sunstreaker raised an appendage, a sharp blade appearing.

Erin ducked out from her hiding place as soon as Shrapnel lunged for her. She sprinted towards the 'bots, cartridge in one hand, fire arm in the other. Momentarily forgetting her pursuer, Erin chucked the energon filled cartridge and aimed her pistol. The moment it was within range of the raised joint, she shot. The resulting explosion tore the limb in two. Sunstreaker managed to shove off the caterwauling beetle and wrestled it back to the ground. They viciously dragged each other down, neither gaining the advantage.

Pools of green liquid dripped around Erin, "Tasty tasty, human." She looked up into the blinded optics of shrapnel.

It lunge for her, just as she evaded. Mandibles spat out green covered earth.

A telltale war cry erupted off to her side, momentarily distracting the beetle. The war ravaged, sword wielding, 'bot himself hurdled over a mound of degraded car seats. A well-placed side kick from the white mech put Sunstreaker's bug off balance, allowing the yellow 'bot to jump to his brother's aid while Wheeljack handled the injured beetle. A hail of gun fire greeted Erin's ears, following Wheeljack's entrance.

"Stay back!" Wheeljack called to his human companions. "Firearms won't work on insecticons, only blunt force! Set up a barrier with energon mines near the exit into town!"

Resounding 'yes, sir's came from the N.E.S.T soldiers as they retreated to follow their orders, but not without catching the attention of scar-face. "No one escapes." He called before heading towards his organic targets.

"Hey, now!" Wheeljack chased after him, "Don't you run away from a fight, 'con!"

The beetle paused long enough to thrash at the white 'bot, knocking him to the ground. "I, Hardshell, do not take orders from a lowly autobot." He spat.

Another barrage of bullets caught his attention. As the mechs had stated, even the energon-based weapons did little damage. Hardshell chased his query over the ridge, distantly followed by Wheeljack. The sounds of guns firing continued for a few seconds, before it was replaced by the desperate screams of men.

The sound sent a shot of panic through Erin's veins. Those screams, the reverberation of metal arms tearing apart soft human bodies, it made her legs shake. Her breath was caught in her throat. She remembered.

 _They were only meant to scope out the landscape and report back. The mission was simple and the main objective was to not get caught. They never expected just what enemy they would find. And they never could have realized just how outgunned they were._

 _She barley stood, her knees bent together, shaking. She panted heavily, partly from exhaustion, and partly from pure fear. She was wet, liquid dripping off her, soaking into her socks. It was warm. It muddied the sand covered earth. And it wasn't her own. Her comrades, the people she trained with, her friends… that was all that was left of them. The blood soaking into her clothes, and the even layer of flesh and bones lining the ground. She was all that was left._

The churring directly behind her brought Erin out of the memory, Shrapnel smelled the air above her head, a ravished grin gracing his dripping faceplates.

"I'm out of ammo, guys!" she called.

"Run!" Erin's frantic eyes shot over to Sunstreaker. His glassy optics were widened by the panicked look on his faceplates. "Squishy, run!"

Run? She had to run? No weapons, no way to defend herself against this monster. Her mind had already analyzed every possible tool within sight, nothing would help. But she was too slow. It would catch her. It was going to _eat_ her. At that moment, Erin felt the sensation of falling. She was going to die. She had to run. By why couldn't she move?

The beast lunged at her, but she froze, mind going blank. She just stared up at the sharp metal mandibles, barely concealing a rotation of knife-like denta, aimed for her.

A flash of silver covered her vision. Sideswipe jumped between her and the decepticon. She could hear metal scraping on metal as Sideswipe staggered back, legs on either side of her. She looked up, his chassis was torn open, sparks flying out. Bright blue energon dripped down, a few drops hitting the side of her forehead. It burned like acid. Sideswipe collapsed back, body limply hitting the ground.

"Sideswipe!" she screamed. At this angle, she could see just how severe the damage was. Energon covered the front of his frame and pooled around him.

A crash to her side alerted her to Sunstreaker, who had a servo to his chest plates, as if in pain.

"Autobot taste bad, want human human." Shrapnel sang horridly.

Erin whipped around again, this time, adrenaline surging through her veins. Sideswipe was hurt because she couldn't move, that was on her. But it wouldn't happen again.

She ran between the 'con's legs and shot out for the back exit of the junkyard. The stomping behind her alerted her of a pursuer. She whipped around and saw Sunstreaker's wide optics tracking her, only they were nearly white.

She didn't have much time. Erin stayed on her path, half her attention on running, the other half on a flurry of hand signals. -Plan. Drive forward. Shoot down barrier.- Hoping her got the message, she pointed towards the hillside ahead of them. It had been carved straight through to make a driving path, leaving high stone walls on either side.

For good measure, she whistled for the beasts' attention. "You 'cons want some human, right?" A quick glance around revealed two oversized bugs behind her, pushing each other to get the lead.

Sunstreaker, having transformed into his vehicle mode, slipped around them and up to Erin, who was sprinting with all her energy. He met her pace and popped his side door open. "Get in!" he called.

With no time to waste, she just waved him on. The mech needed time to set a post, and the soldier wanted all the insecticons' attention to be on her.

Sunstreaker didn't argue, her plan, after all, lead the 'cons away from his injured twin. Instead, he slammed the door and shot ahead.

Erin continued to speak through her radio, "See the fissures in the stone?" When she wasn't running for her life, she'd remember to preach to her teammates about the importance of studying the terrain both before and during a fight, a habit for which the twins still teased her.

"Got it." He growled as he did whenever revved for a fight. The sound was honestly terrifying, and she was glad it wasn't aimed at her.

She was lucky the insecticons were battling to reach her, pushing each other or pulling the other back. It gave her just enough time and distance. With a last ditch push of energy, she ran into the canyon, walled by stone a hundred feet in the air. With the prospect of either being shredded, consumed, or crushed, she managed to pull ahead, just past Sunstreaker, who was well hidden behind a grove of thick trees.

She didn't even take a chance as she darted around his pedes and practically plastered herself to one of his legs. At that moment, the yellow rage machine was the safest thing in her mind. She heard two shots fire above her.

An avalanche of stone crashed down behind her, accompanied by morbid mechanical shrieks. A large servo scooped her up and she was help against a yellow chassis, shielded from any rubble or dust. She could hear a few rocks pinging off her protector's armor. Erin's ears rang, making it hard to tell when the rockslide was actually over.

When the scene quieted, Erin was pulled away from the chassis. She looked up into Sunstreaker's light blue optics, which were staring back intently.

"Are you injured?" he inquired, vent oddly hitched.

"No, what about you and Sideswipe?" she knew that he would be able to use their bond to ascertain the silver mech's condition, even if he wasn't fully conscious.

The 'bot looked up at the pile of stone that blocked their path back. "He's hurt, but online. Hang on." He set her down on his shoulder, ignoring the nervous sounds his teammate was making, or her flailing arms. Instead, he focused on climbing the newly formed hill.

Erin felt a sense of vertigo, and hung to his audio fin like it was a life line. Even with him leaning against the rock, making her only a few feet off the ground, the motion was enough to give the illusion of extra height.

"Not there!' he snapped and jerked his helm away, which only brought Erin with it.

She relented and scooched her knees onto his back, forcing her to hang down. Although, she managed to find seams in his lower back armor that allowed her to hold with her booted toes. Also, his shoulders were arched, so she wasn't entirely dangling. The soldier wrapped her arms around Sunstreaker's neck and clung tightly, that way, he could still turn his helm. All the time she tried not to think how embarrassing such a position was for either of them. Sideswipe better be in stasis, because he'd never let them live this down.

"Better." Sunstreaker rumbled as he made it to the top of the hill and started to slide down.

"Wheeljack just commed me. He said his 'con got away, but the fleshies are tracking him with some drones. They can't follow him for long, though. He's out flying them. The bastard will likely law low for a while. 'Jack also said the scene over there isn't pretty. Only a few fleshies survived." He paused to let Erin take it in. "'Jack will take care of the ones we buried, he has enough explosives to dismantle them. 'Hide is coming for backup, just in case."

"You don't want to help finish the job?" she questioned. That was unlike him. If there was anyone thirsty for shed energon, it was Sunstreaker.

"I want to make sure Sides is fine first." He replied, tone sounding tight. "I've also contacted Hatchet, he'll be meeting us soon."

Erin didn't have the energy to argue. Her adrenaline was gone. She just wanted to lay down somewhere safe, where she could keep an eye on her injured teammate, and relax.

* * *

The sky buzzed with one pair of flapping wings, strongly bending the air around them. Hardshell suffered severe injuries from the battle, but the insecticon would not show any weakness. He was the strongest among them, after all. That was why he had survived.

He would avenge the offlining of his brothers, the last of his race. And he would destroy the human girl who scarred him.

But first, he needed to regain his strength. Without any energon, he required alternate sources of sustenance. As an adaptive species, insecticons could consume practically any matter, but he required a more pure form of energy if he was to recover.

Through their hive mind, Hardshell could see that Shrapnel critically injured one of the gladiator twins. And the old warrior, Wheeljack would be out of fighting state for days, thanks to him. It was the perfect time to strike again. The autobots would not dare retreat towards their base until the silver twin stabilized.

All he needed was to reach the nearby damn. Should he harvest the electricity there, he could be able to remount another attack, for the glory of all insecticons.

A signal caught his attention, one from a familiar source. Hardshell diverted his course to meet the inbound jet. Within seconds, he could see the silver form, soaring faster than sound. Simultaneously, they transformed and landed on a rocky outcropping. The soft stone crumbled under their weight and tumbled down the hill, falling among the trees below.

"Starscream," Hardshell begun, only to be interrupted by the jet's shrill voice.

"It is _Lord_ Starscream to you, insect!" he bravely encroached on the warrior's space, a challenging glint in his optics. "Megatron is offline and I am your commander now."

A flash of fury hot the insecticon's energon lines. "You are not half the warrior he was," he spat out the last word with contempt, " _Lord._ "

The slender jet growled with frustration. "I was Megatron's Second in Command, his successor. And now, more than ever, the decepticons need strong leadership." Starscream's long, sharp digits clenched into a fist, depicting how he would crush any opposition. "Even a simple minded creature, such as yourself, should understand that much. It was I, after all, who summoned you here." He muttered, disregarding Hardshell's angry yowl. "Unless we rally behind a single leader, the autobots and their human pets will pick us off one by one."

The commander had a point, Hardshell could admit. The decepticons thrived under Megatron's iron servo rule. There were few who could take command. "Very well, Starscream-" he paused, seeing the jet's hot glare, "Lord Starscream," he corrected, words feeling like acid on his glossa, "I will follow your command."

A dark, pointed smile grew on Starscream's faceplates as his glassy red optics flashed. "Excellent." He practically purred. "Now, let's get going. Where are the others? I believe there were three of you."

"We engaged the autobots in combat." Hardshell lifted his severed leg as evidence of a hard fought battle. "Shrapnel and Kickback were offlined." He added before his new master's anger could erupt, "But the silver gladiator twin was gravely injured. If return now, we could finish him and his infernal twin. The old wrecker was weakened by the battle and their human pets' fluids stain the ground. Now is the perfect time to strike."

"You fool!" Starscream screeched. "You would have us take on at least three autobots, should back up have not already arrived for them, and those N.E.S.T insects!"

Hardshell made sure not to look taken aback by the outburst. "But they are injured." He tried to explain.

"That is precisely when a gladiator is at his most dangerous!" he explained slowly, as if lecturing a sparkling. "We will regroup at our base, not blindly fall into a hopeless skirmish."

Hardshell held back a growl of contempt. "An insecticon warrior never leaves a battle unfinished. I must get revenge on the twins' human pet for injuring me."

Starscream paused, optics narrowing. For a moment, the insecticon though the mech was going to attack him, but instead he asked in a low rumble, "This human pet, was it a femme?"

The spark of battle had nearly been extinguished in Hardshell. His wound was still leaking and without energy and repairs, the last of the insecticons would go extinct. Not wanting to show his own weakness, he stood tall and carefully spoke a stern. "Yes.".

"Come." Starscream transformed, alt-mode only falling inches before he shot into the sky. Hardshell struggled to keep up with his speed. Starscream led them away from the battlefield, to where the insecticon could only guess to be the base. Through the comm, Starscream muttered, "Megatron offlined because he miscalculated what a human can cause. I will not make the same error."

* * *

A battle had been won. Two dangerous decepticons had been taken out of play. But no one was in the mood to celebrate. Thirteen men had been slaughtered in the battle. They never even had a fighting chance. Erin could see the fear in the survivors' eyes. It likely mirror her own. They were completely powerless. What was the point in even trying? Only the autobots could even make a mark in the enemy. They were only human. This was all pure suicide.

Erin was guilty of more than simple weakness. She had gotten in the way. If she hadn't been there, Sideswipe wouldn't have had to come to her rescue. And he wouldn't be getting open spark surgery.

After the battle, Ratchet had been confident the silver mech would pull through, but not long after they loaded into their transport home, Sunstreaker collapsed, falling into stasis along with his twin.

The acid from Shrapnel's jaws had a belated affect, infecting Sideswipe's own energon lines and turning the contents of his veins to sludge. Sunstreaker felt the effect it had on his twin through his own spark.

Now both mechs were in grave danger, and it was all Erin's fault.

She crouched outside the med bay, chest burning with shame. All she could do was wait, while the mechs who had put their confidence in her were dying.


	23. Chapter 23

**Hello Dear Readers! I'm sorry this came to you a bit late. I wanted to take some extra time to do some edits. You can thank ImpartingAbyss for reminding me to get my lazy writer aft in motion.**

 **Thank you to my reviewers; shelby20125, KEXX 1, SkyenhaMarisa, Cinematronix, SoulusPrimeLightblast, and ImpartingAbyss.**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter 23

Sunstreaker onlined slowly. The painful aching all over his frame was accompanied by a sharp pain in his spark. Even the effort of onlining his optics felt like too much of a burden at the moment.

And it was a complete relief. Pride swelled in his spark chamber. He was hurt, but the warrior twins had survived yet another battle.

Through the bond, he felt his brother's presence directly next to him. No doubt Hatchet had placed them together. The medic had vorns of experience treating the two front liners and he knew split spark twin healed fastest when in close proximity; the spark energy of one, diffusing to the other. Sunstreaker could also feel that Sides was deep in recharge.

He needed it. Memories flooded back to the former gladiator. His twin had been gravely injured. Sunstreaker held out for as long as he could, to protect his twin, and finish the mission, but eventually he fell to the pull of the spark bond.

As energy flowed through him, Sunstreaker started to feel jittery lying on the medi-berth. Finally onlining his optics, the mech blinked around. Hatchet wasn't in the room, a sure sign neither of their injuries were considered life threatening anymore. As he expected, Sides was prone on the berth next to him. His and Sides' berths were moved together so much so that Sides' servo was inched over into Sunstreaker's space.

He looked fondly at his brother. A mischievous glint still remained on his faceplates, but an innocent smile rested on his lip plates. He looked younger, like how they should be, had they not been forced to harden their sparks as younglings. It impressed Sunstreaker to a degree, that his brother could still keep some of that pure youth after all that had happened. The yellow mech drank up his brother's demeanor, just as his other half steadied himself on Sunstreaker's determination and focus.

He remained there for a moment longer before pushing himself off the berth. Just then a notice flashed on his Hud, he was low on energon. Hatchet would not let them go hungry, perhaps he had left to fetch them something to consume.

Sunstreaker decided to go to the wash racks, knowing his frame had to be in horrible shape. That way he would easily piss off the medic who had yet to grant permission for him to leave. He could do with some amusement, and dodging practice. Sunstreaker counted on the ambulance mech using the opportunity to take the extra energon for himself, knowing he always forgot to refuel. He could grab his own energon later.

His joints made an uncomfortable screeching sound as he seated himself up. Those pit-fallen insecticons sure knew how to punch. It was almost a shamed they were offline. There were so few opponents left for the twins, they were getting bored.

He took one last scan of his brother, assuring himself Sides would be alright while he cleaned up. Upon seeing his other half's deteriorated condition, he decided to bring some of his products back to the med bay once he was finished. Sides could use a quick cleaning as well.

He stepped out of the med bay, glad Hatchet didn't have the foresight to lock it, keeping him inside. Out of the corner of his optic, he saw a small form curled against the wall. Sunstreaker paused to stare down the squishy. She was so still, only the gentle rise and fall of her chest informed him of her being in recharge. She looked paler than normal. Her arms were wrapped defensively around her abdomen. Dark blood crusted her skin. Her forehead, covered with a bandage, seemed to be the only thing cleaned since the battle; a patch made during their transport back to base. She must have insisted on waiting there until they woke.

The mech had half a thought just to let the femme sleep. She looked utterly exhausted. But he remembered Hatchet's lengthy tirade about human health, most of which he paid no attention to, but he did remember the medic expressly state that humans could become very sick if their wounds were not cleaned and their frames did not maintain a narrow temperature range. It was hard to forget, considering what he witnessed happen to the squishy in Washington. He'd rather her wait an hour for sleep than collapse from disease.

He called to her but there was no flicker of awareness. The warrior sighed and crouched down. Upon closer inspection, she was already beginning to look ill. He reached out a digit to gently shake her awake, but before he could make contact, her eyes shot open and she rolled to the side to avoid his reach. A hand instinctively reached to her holster, but she paused. It may have been because of the missing weapon, or recognition of Sunstreaker, but either way her eyes filled with awareness.

Sunstreaker leaned back so as not to crowd the defensive soldier. "Do you do that every time someone wakes you?" he released the vent he was holding. "You have issues, femme."

Her sudden burst of energy seemed to sap immediately. She collapsed back onto her aft, back hitting the wall hard.

"Sunstreaker," she rasped, "You're awake. Does that mean Sideswipe's-" her voice caught. Sunstreaker saw pain wash over her eyes.

He felt a stab of guilt. She must have been worried, seeing Sideswipe in such a state, then Sunstreaker collapsing when all seemed well.

"Sides is gonna be fine." he deflected, dealing with an emotional femme was not his strong suit, "You should get yourself checked out. And get some recharge."

She shook her head. "I'm just gonna wait for Sideswipe to wake up. I want to talk to him about something.

Sunstreaker wanted to ask her what she wanted to say, but decided against it. If the squishy wanted to divulge that information, she would have. Sides would tell him about it later, anyway.

"Wouldn't you rather wait inside, rather than sit in the hallway?" he quirked an optic ridge. She certainly looked uncomfortable where she was lying. After all, Hatchet had a human sized berth she could rest in.

A weak smile ghosted over her lips. "I was in there, but Ratchet kicked me out and locked the human sized door. He wanted me to go see a medic. But I just waited until he left."

"Come on." he motioned his helm towards the door as he stood to full height. Quickly keying in the code, he opened the mech sized door for the femme to go through. She gave him a grateful smile and passed the threshold. "Take it easy, squishy." He grunted before closing the door behind her.

Frame itching for a wash, he headed through the other door towards the berth chambers. His frame felt hot due to his repair systems working overtime. A cold wash would do well to sooth him.

First, he went to his and Sides' berth room to pick up the necessary supplies. A quick idea led him to also root through Sides' things. Thinking he would have something appropriate. He had a cleaning rag, but Sunstreaker would prefer not to use that. Hatchet already had similar things, and much thinner cloths as well.

He bent down and checked under the berth. His digits felt along the bottom, finding the seam where the actual berth ended and the hidden storage extension began. In all the time they had been there, Sideswipe's secret prank stash had not been found. Inside the container, Sunstreaker found something matching his needs. Quickly, he subspaced the cloth, primus knows why Sides had it, and headed toward the wash racks.

Luckily, it was empty. He wasn't in a socializing mood. He went for the first stall, and saw a tiny piece of paper posted at mech height. Curious, he leaned in to read it. The writing was messy, almost as illegible as Ironaft's, but not quite.

'Sunstreaker, I'm off looking for Specialist Brook. She seems to have inherited your distaste for following medical advice. I know you'll be easier to deal with once you've gotten your personal obsessions out of the way, so hurry up. Once you're done washing up, I expect you to return to the med bay, at least to give your brother the cube of energon I left under your berth. Comm me if you see Specialist Brook. -Ratchet'

"Fraggin' medic keepin' a step ahead." Sunstreaker grumbled with slight amusement. So that's why he didn't lock the door.

He turned on the water, adjusting the dial so it was right at room temperature. Stepping in, he felt hot tension lift from his frame. This was exactly what he needed.

* * *

After taking his time in the wash racks, he returned to the med bay. Ratchet must have still been searching for the squishy, cause she was still there, no medic in sight.

Before he uttered a single word, the squishy, still staring blindly ahead, muttered, "I'm sorry, Sunstreaker."

Said yellow mech paused. The squishy sounded defeated. It didn't seem right, such a pitiful tone coming from one so proud.

The femme may have entered the med bay, but she never sat on the open human berth. Instead, she sat straight backed against a caster on Sideswipe's berth. She looked to be lost in silent contemplation, even though company seemed to be patiently waiting for her to speak. Ironhide sat on what was Sunstreaker's berth, only it had been pulled away to a more respectable distance from Sides, who lay in deep recharge.

When Sunstreaker entered, it was apparent to him that neither had spoken a word to the other. The squishy seemed lost, and Ironhide watched at her with concerned optics. His own injuries appeared to be manageable. The yellow mech could guess that the old weapons specialist had avoided the med bay, and its occupants, until Hatchet finally found him.

"What for?" he nearly growled, unable to control his discomfort.

She sounded hollow as she spoke, "If I hadn't froze back there, Sideswipe wouldn't have been injured. I risked both your lives."

"What's with that load of scrap?" Sunstreaker stepped forward to her. He wasn't even sure why he was so angry, but he knew it had to do with her.

The squishy stood on shaky legs, using the berth post to stabilize herself. Her voice was barely above a whisper, "I'll give you some time with your brother." Silently, walked out of the med bay, her head hanging low. Sunstreaker glared at her as she slipped out of visual range.

"What's her fragging problem?" he muttered darkly.

Ironhide sighed. "I've seen that look before. When a warrior gets overconfident, only to be knocked down." He looked on at where the squishy had last sat. "I blame myself; I think I put too much pressure on her. She always thinks she has to preform perfectly. But we improve by learning through our mistakes. Otherwise, we're stagnant."

"Well she needs to get over herself." Sunstreaker scowled. "Self-pity won't get her anywhere."

The older mech snapped back, "That's not pity you saw! Brook is the kind of femme harsh words will have no effect on, 'cause they will never be as severe as what she says to herself." He faced Sunstreaker squarely, glaring at him. "I'd leave her alone if I were you. There's nothing _you_ could say that would pull her out of this rut. Just give her time."

Sunstreaker shot back, "Who said I cared about how she felt?" he stormed off towards the exit, intent on getting some fresh air. He could sense it would be a while before his twin woke, and he'd rather not wait around with Ironhide in there. He'd return after the rust-aft left.

The day was still young and the sun was high in the sky, but a chilled wind brushed over the island. He hated the cold, but this planet couldn't seem to get enough of it. Back on Cybertron, it never got below what the humans would call 4 degrees Celsius. In fact, it was never over 35 either. There were great benefits of having a planet with self-regulating heat. Nearly the entire planet averaged at 22 degrees, only heating slightly when in range of the distant sun.

Out of the corner of Sunstreaker's optic, he saw the squishy, sitting with her back against the back wall of the armory. Her legs were pulled in, making her look even smaller. Before he realized what he was doing, he found himself standing in front of her.

Honestly, she looked like scrap, even more so than an hour ago. Her fur had half fallen out of the arrangement she kept it in, and lay forgotten on her shoulders. Her arms were limp at her sides and her sullen eyes stared blindly into her lap. She made no sign to acknowledge his presence.

Sunstreaker remembered what Ironhide had said. Harsh words would do nothing. If that's so, then there's nothing he could say. But he didn't move. Something in his spark churned uncomfortably at the sight of her. Sighing to himself, he sat down against the wall next to her. His optics darted around for any sign of humans or autobots. No one. He looked back to the squishy and cursed his fate. Kind words were not really his forte.

"So, you froze." He stated matter-of-factly.

"Yeah." She responded in a sigh.

Sunstreaker continued to stare ahead. "That's not like you."

"It was different this time."

"How so?" he failed to keep his voice calm. His patience bubbled away, do doubt aided by his twin's condition.

"I saw them, and lost all train of thought."

"You were scared." It was not a question. He clearly remembered seeing the fear in her eyes. In fact, the look was familiar. It was as if he'd already seen her with this brand of fear, only this time it had overtaken her.

"Yeah." She hugged her legs, an odd display coming from a normally stoic femme.

"How was it any different from when you've faced us? I can't say I've gone really easy on you. Especially that first training day," he smirked at the memory, "you could've been vaporized. But you weren't afraid."

"It just is." Her head rested in her crossed arms.

Sunstreaker growled, "That's not good enough. Tell me why."

"You're not decepticons!" she shouted. "Yes, you're all cybertronian. You, for the most part, look the same, talk the same, and even act the same at times. But you're my allies. Even you, with your reputation, has never harmed a human." She laughed humorlessly, "I checked." For the first time she looked up at Sunstreaker, her eyes unreadable. "But that 'con's goal, his _purpose_ was to kill me. So yeah, it's different."

Sunstreaker found himself prickling at her tone. Primus, he was no good at this. He took a moment to steady himself. The anger she was showing was all directed at herself, not him. This reaction was just it's manifestation. "Look, squishy, I don't blame you for what happened to Sideswipe. It was his choice and no one makes us do _anything_. You were the one who came up with the plan to trap those 'cons. I wouldn't call that a failure." He added more harshly, "When are you going to get it through that mushy little mind of yours that we all make mistakes! We all freeze at some point." He vented silently, trying to center himself. "Squishy, I get it, okay? You were scared, but you pulled through. That's what matters. I know how the 'cons can seem."

The femme looked at him questioningly and Sunstreaker mentally cursed himself. "Never mind." He turned away from her to face the blank wall a few yards away. But he could feel the weight of her stare, but she never pushed for an explanation. Somehow, that seemed even worse. There was no question for him to shoot down. He released a vent he didn't know he was holding in.

"When I was young," he began, "really, really young, I lived in a city run by 'cons. It was called Kaon. Whenever they came to my Sire's bar, I would hide behind the counter." His optics clouded at the memory. "I would hide from everyone back then. Sideswipe was always so outgoing, but I was scared. I though the 'cons would scrap me, and the neutrals living there would judge me." He blinked back to the present. "So yeah, I was scared, and we are the same species." He paused to regard the small, relatively unintimidating femme, "I can only imagine how it must be for you."

The squishy blinked at him. She didn't laugh or joke about the fearful sparkling he once was. She didn't even smile. After a long pause, she asked, "What's a sire?"

Sunstreaker, in turn, stared back at her. That was not the response he had been expecting. "It means 'father'."

"So he had a bar?"

The question was so oddly innocent. "Yeah, Sideswipe still uses his recipe for high grade."

"He made his own?"

Sunstreaker, not knowing what else to say, indulged her curiosity, "Actually, he was only allowed to sell his own. Back in Kaon, you couldn't sell anyone else's high grade. It kept mechs from building much of a profitable business so they couldn't move away."

"Huh." She looked down to process the information. She looked better than when he first sat down. Her eyes had more life, and her posture was more of its usual straightness.

"Sunstreaker?"

"Yes?"

"Do you want to spar?"

His faceplates quirked into a minute smile. "Sure, squishy."

She stood, weary exhaustion still apparent in her shaking legs. Instinctively, Sunstreaker wanted to tell her to sit back down and rest. Or better yet, go to Hatchet. However, he knew she was a warrior at spark. And some light training would do good to raise her spirits. She lost both her weapons, but he'd figure something out. At the very least, she could dodge.

However, when she tried to take a step forward, her leg gave way and she crumbled to the ground.

Sunstreaker shot forward, servos cradling around her, as if protecting her from enemy fire. He watched closely as she panted heavily into the earth below.

"How about we spar after the Doc has seen you." He suggested.

The squishy looked up to him, her eyes dull and her skin even paler. Sunstreaker noticed the bandage on her head was soaked through with oozing blood. His optic ridges furrowed with concern.

"That scratch looks bad, let's get you back to the med bay, I've already signaled Hatchet." He stated.

Without thinking, he scooped her up and took a couple steps to the hanger entrance. His scanners could feel the femme's increased heart rate from being up so high, but she did not complain otherwise. When he looked down at her, he could see her eyes were closed and she gripped tightly on his arm.

When he entered the med bay, Hatchet was not there yet, but Ironhide was still sitting on one of the berths, cleaning one of his massive cannons. The weapon specialist's optics looked up from his task and widened upon seeing the squishy.

The black mech jumped from his seat. "What happened?" he demanded, looking accusingly at Sunstreaker as the yellow front liner placed her on the human berth.

Before the yellow mech could retort, the squishy answered, "He just took me here to see Ratchet. I haven't gotten checked out since we deboarded the plane."

On que, the medic stormed through the door, already cursing in Cybertronian. "Do you think medical care only comes when it's convenient for you?" he scowled at the squishy, already running a scan over her while mumbling to himself, "Taking after the terror twins alright, you're lucky I don't tie you to a med berth."

Suddenly, his voice dropped and his optics widened. "Primus." The medic picked up the entire berth with both servos and placed it on Ironhide's medi-berth, shooing the black mech away.

Sunstreaker shot Hatchet a concerned look but the ambulance didn't notice. Instead he moved with speed and purpose, flashing over to his desk, pulling out human-sized equipment. In a second, he was back at the squishy' s side, expertly hooking her up to monitoring devices and sticking a needle in her arm. He moved with such speed and precision that the yellow warrior could barely keep track of him. The last time Hatchet looked this determined, he lost the patient. He muttered symptoms to himself, "Bluish fingernails, low blood pressure, drainage of the wound."

Ironhide's booming voice seemed to momentarily break Hatchet's concentration, "What's going on, doc?" only his concerned optics betrayed what he was feeling.

Two pairs of optics and two eyes looked at the medic questioningly. He took a quick vent, to steady himself. "I detect energon in Specialist Brook's bloodstream. I must nullify it before her organs shut down."

The room fell quiet at his admission and Hatchet did not wait a moment longer to continue his work over the femme. Small clear bags, along with one yellow and one red, hung from a pole, a small line connecting them to two needles in her arm and on her hand.

The squishy had closed her eyes and appeared to make an effort to calm her breathing. Her voice was steady, betraying no hint of worry, "I've had this in my system for fourteen hours, wouldn't it have done more damage by now?"

Hatchet continued his adjustments as he answered her, "There have only been two cases of energon infecting live humans, so there is little to go one. The rest of my knowledge on the matter comes from computer simulations and experiments with donor blood. So honestly, I don't know for sure."

Sunstreaker felt a stab of impatience. His optics bore into the femme. "Why didn't you say something?" he hissed.

"I didn't realize I'd been exposed." She shook her head slowly. "It was in the heat of battle."

Sunstreaker looked away, angry at some unknown enemy.

"Do you remember how you got that burn?" Hatchet asked.

The squishy spoke with dawning realization, "When Sideswipe was hurt. He was standing right over me." Her voice trailed off.

"That's good, Ms. Brook, if I know what the source is, I can create a solution that will specifically target it." Hatchet added encouragingly, "And it is impressive you've survived thus far without medical attention. I don't detect more than a couple drops of energon in your system. Energon reacts similarly to sulfuric acid in organics, you may have a bit of an immunity, due to your mithridatic training."

Ironhide interjected, "When did you do _that_?"

Sunstreaker turned back around, having no idea what the mechs were talking about. He did a quick internet search, optics widening at the results. Wherever she trained before going to N.E.S.T was one messed up place.

The squishy seemed to ignore Ironhide, focusing instead on Hatchet. "How did you know?" she asked with eerie calmness.

"I detected traces of various poisons in your system. I suspected you were provided with small doses to build an immunity." He raised an optic ridge, challenging her to deny his observation. "Besides," he added, "We all know you went through unusual training, this technique is not unheard of for specialist groups in your military." Then triumphantly, "do you really think you could keep that a secret from me?"

The femme's eyes narrowed, her face was eerily calm. "There's nothing I can keep secret from you, Ratchet."

All the 'bots knew she was sworn to secrecy from her past. That still didn't help the itch of curiosity Sunstreaker felt. She was obviously skilled, but what kind of training did she really go through? And what led her to leave that behind?


	24. Chapter 24

**Hello dear readers,**

 **I hope you are enjoying the story so far!**

 **I would like to give a big thanks to my reviewers, (Guest), Cinematronix, CherryVaillaCoke, RatchetsGirl1, ImpartingAbyss, THE Ellie, SoulusPrimeLightBlast, KEZZ 1, and Starimus Prime**

Chapter 24

Sideswipe tiredly onlined his optics. His systems were slow to recalibrate, but soon the error messages started to disappear. The first thing he sensed was Sunny's presence. He was not with him, but he could feel his twin's acknowledgement of his onlining. Stoic relief flooded the bond, tampered slightly by the yellow warrior's own exhaustion.

Sunny sent him a data pack to jog his memory. He had been injured, that much was obvious. That also explained why Sunny was feeling so tired. His own spark was working overtime to keep them online. Sideswipe's brother sent a query, offering to join him back in the med bay. Sideswipe insisted he rested in his own berth, he needed it. Besides, Hatchet only allowed them to stay together in the med bay if both were injured. Something about destruction or too much of a racket or something. It didn't take much to convince Sunny; Sideswipe could feel him quickly slip back into recharge.

He also remembered Rin. With that thought, he jolted upright, worry flooding through his systems. There, on a tiny berth across the room, propped up in the middle of a 'bot-sized medi-berth, was the femme. Sideswipe jumped from his own berth, disconnecting the energon drip attached through an armor seem on his shoulder. In a couple massive steps, he was by the soldier's side, scanning her.

She slept quietly, curled up on one side, with a hand under her pillow. Her chest rose and fell evenly under the large, thick comforter that encompassed her and the berth. Relief mixed with Sideswipe's own amusement. Sunny must have gotten the blanket from his prank stash. As long as Captain Lennox didn't see it, he should be in the clear.

Not wanting to wake the femme, Sideswipe went back to his own berth to rest. He probably wouldn't be able to fall back into recharge, but his frame was still exhausted from his injuries. Instead, he unsubspaced his data pad and, making sure it was on silent, started up a video game he made which melded Crashlands and Grand Theft Auto.

Part of his processor still replayed images of the battle. Insecticons were naturally powerful predators. Only top warrior class autobots were even approved to engage them in battle. While formidable, they lacked individual ambition. Insecticons follow a master. Megatron was the sole mech who commanded them. With him pushing up lug nuts, someone else would have taken command.

Could the decepticons be establishing a new hierarchy? The autobots had hoped to hunt them down before they organized themselves once more, but they had taken too long. The reemergence of this old enemy spelled trouble, and Sideswipe couldn't help but feel a mix of apprehension and anticipation; this is what he was built for, the rush of battle. But still, he had seen glimmers of peace that left him with a feeling of longing.

After an hour, Sideswipe's scanners picked up on some movement on the other side of the room. Rin stirred awake, tired eyes blinking around, taking in her surroundings. When eyes met optics, Sideswipe felt relief flow warmly through his energon lines. His frame relaxed as previously unrealized signs of tension faded away.

"Hey," his vocalizer crackled, still not recovered from the battle, "how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." She mumbled, sleepiness still grasping at her.

Sideswipe smiled fondly, her guard was down, a rare sight for him. She looked cute all curled up like that. "What happened to the insecticons?" he inquired.

Rin remained relaxed, explanation lacking the usual serious stiffness she carried around her, "Sunstreaker trapped two of the 'cons and Wheeljack and Ironhide finished them off. One of them got away, the one who lost a leg."

"After you blasted it off." He added with a wide smile. Sideswipe couldn't help but notice that she left out her own contributions. Sunny said she was the one who hatched the plan to capture the 'cons.

Rin continued on as if he said nothing, "We lost 13 men, all human."

Sideswipe allowed a moment of silence to creep in. Although he wasn't particularly close to any of the humans, aside from Rin, he still respected them.

When he got a moment to himself, he would find out their names, see if anyone he knew had been lost, but that was for another time. He didn't think about death in the company of others. So, he pushed on, a sympathetic smile on his faceplates, "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine." She answered quickly, obviously not wanting to remain on the subject. "What about you?" she inquired more intently.

The silver mech put on the best airs he could, considering he was still sore from his wounds, "I'm fine." He parroted. "Really, it looks worse than it is." He glanced down at the open gash through his chest plates. Hatchet had expertly welded together vital components, and left the rest to heal on its own. Sideswipe knew he was in no danger, if he was, Hatchet would still be by his side.

The look in Rin's eyes told Sideswipe that she didn't believe him. "Really, I'm fine." he added petulantly, "Just bored out of my processor!"

The human appeared to have zero sympathy for Sideswipe's anguish and laid on her back, appearing to settle down. "Try to get some rest, you need it." She mumbled, but the sleepiness had left her voice. She appeared to be once again fully alert. Sideswipe knew she wouldn't be recharging any time soon.

"But, Rin, I'm not tired." He whined, his grin growing at her irked expression. "Entertain me!"

She shot his a steely glare, the cloud of depression that had seemed to cover her was lifting. Sideswipe smiled victoriously.

He continued, in a more subdued tone, "Let's just talk for a while."

Rin sighed in apparent defeat. "Fine, what do you want to talk about?"

Sideswipe didn't particularly care what they discussed, he just wanted a comfortable conversation, not obsessing over anything in particular. That was how Sideswipe liked it, calm with nothing at stake. They both needed a break from the stress of their duties.

Erin's attention drifted to her own berth. It seemed that she finally noticed the blanket that encompassed her was not the usual starchy military sheets. Sideswipe let slip that it actually belonged to the Lennox's.

"Why do I have their comforter?" Rin asked, shooting him an accusing glare.

Sideswipe raised his servos in a placating gesture. "Sunny must have taken it from my storage unit."

Her gaze hardened, but she didn't look surprised that he would do such a thing. "And why do you have this in the first place?"

The mech smiled mischievously, "'Cause the one they're currently sleeping with is filled with sprouting grass seeds."

Rin's eyes widened slightly before she broke out into a light cackle. Her laugh was so adorable, it brought Sideswipe himself to chuckle at the sound.

"You're crazy." She stated finally, but her smile was bright and genuine.

Sideswipe dipped his head in a bow, "I aim to please."

She shook her head, struggling to fight her growing smile. "You must have been a handful growing up."

"Nah," he shrugged good naturedly, "our sire had a great sense of humor."

There was a glimmer of recognition in her eyes. "Sunstreaker mentioned him earlier." She stated casually, thinly veiling her interest.

Sideswipe didn't mind. She was a naturally curious person and he desperately missed his sire. Of course, Sunstreaker didn't have the best relationship with him, so there was no one Sideswipe could confide in, a rarity for both him and his brother.

Although, knowing Sunstreaker, he may not have been the most diplomatic in discussing their creator. "What did he say?" the mech asked cautiously.

"Just that he had a bar, and you use his high grade recipe." She reported, the words sounding awkward in her mouth as if she wasn't sure what she was talking about. Her next comment confirmed this, "Is high grade the cybertronian version of alcohol?"

"It's similar," Sideswipe confirmed, "at least I think it is." Rin looked as if she wanted to ask more, but she could wisely tell the subject may be sensitive. "What do you want to ask?" he added with a hint of amusement, "you've never held back before."

After a moment, she spoke up with more of her recognizable confidence, "What was life like for you on Cybertron?" she quickly added, "Or what was it like there in general?"

The question was certainly not unexpected. Slowly but surely, Rin's curiosity had been shifting from practical subjects to more personal ones. While there were some things Sideswipe would be unwilling to share, it was comforting to have someone who cared not just for his abilities, but for his history and opinions.

"What do you know so far about our history?" he asked.

"Not much," she shook her head, seeming dismayed by her own lack of knowledge, "Autobots and Decepticons fought until the planet became unsustainable, then you came to earth following the all spark."

He wasn't sure all that she wanted to know, but he decided to start with the basics. "Well," he began, "at one point in our history, during the Golden Age, crime and poverty were low and technological advancements were accelerated, but eventually, greed and corruption creeped in. The Rebels were the first to fight against this. They were the heroes and martyrs during the firsts period of separation. Megatron was their leader."

Sideswipe noticed the surprised look on Rin's face. During war, pure hatred for the other side made the fighting easier. Most of the 'bots, Sunstreaker included, depended on that in order to live with that they've had to do to others of their kind, all for the sake of survival. On the battle field, Sideswipe employed this same technique, but when Rin evoked the memory of his sire, he remembered how _he_ taught the history of their people.

He continued, "However, his ambition led The Rebels down a similar path to the Elite Counsel that ruled our planet. Eventually, The Rebels split into two factions, the Decepticons and Autobots. When Sunny and I were first sparked, the Elite Counsel was still in power over the planet as a whole, but the Decepticons were slowly taking over more land. Sunny and I lived with our sire in a city state called Kaon, the Decepticon capital. Autobots were entirely outlawed there. Neutrals, like us at the time, lived under the rule of the decepticons. They created laws that made it difficult for us to live. High taxes were placed on essentials such as low grade, the energon used to feed sparklings. In order to care for us, our Sire learned how to create his own low grade. As we grew older, he modified his still to make high grade and became a bar owner."

Sideswipe smiled proudly, "He did well, given the circumstances. We had a roof over our helms and energon in our tanks. We couldn't afford an education so Sire taught us what he could. I also learned from some of the patrons that came by." He decidedly left out the part where hustlers taught him how to hack in exchange for free drinks. She didn't need to know that. However, the spark in her eye told Sideswipe she had already made some assumptions of her own.

"I didn't know any other way of living, so I liked how our lives were. As long as we stayed out of the way of decepticons, we'd be fine. Sunstreaker didn't take it as well. He refused to speak with anyone but me and our sire. And the two of them didn't have the best relationship." Sideswipe found that he wanted to divulge more to her, but that wasn't his story to tell. So he continued, "When we were about to get our second frames, the fighting between 'bots and 'cons got worse. The decepticons became suspicious of neutrals, demanding they join their faction or be offlined. We were too young to join the fighting, so we were spared, but when our sire refused…" he couldn't bring himself to say it. Rin nodded in understanding, for which Sideswipe felt grateful.

"We were on the streets for a while. I had no idea what to do, I just wanted to curl up and whine. But Sunny stepped up. He found us odd jobs, learned how to work the streets in our favor. He always made sure I was safe." Sideswipe would always feel grateful for what Sunny did for them. Only Primus knows what would have happened without his courage.

Rin, who had remained quiet while Sideswipe told his story, looked down, her face out of Sideswipe's view. Concerned, he got up from his berth and cautiously approached the femme. He bent down, so that they were at the same height, and saw liquid glittering in a small stream down her face. "Rin!" his spark filled with concern, seeing her leaking from reddened eyes, "Are you hurt? Did I say something wrong?"

She shook her head, sniffling a little. "No," finally she looked up, seeming to be a bit more composed, "it's just the way you were talking about Sunstreaker, it reminded me of Cora." She smiled weakly. "You are lucky to have him, just as I was to have her."

Sideswipe felt as if his lines had run cold. He didn't know all that she had gone through in her life, but he did know that she had someone like Sunstreaker who took care of her. Only now, she was alone. He knew that he would never have to live a day without Sunny by his side. But he could imagine how horrible Rin felt being reminded of her loneliness.

In an attempt to comfort her, he cautiously rubbed a digit over her shoulder. She didn't protest the gesture, but neither did she lean into his touch. She remained rigid, staring just past him. Not getting the desired effect, he scooped her up and held her to his chassis with one arm.

Rin let out a muffled squeak at the sudden motion. Her arms trying in vain to push herself away from his grasp. "What are you doing?" she muttered.

Sideswipe chirped, "You needed a hug!". Instead of putting her back down, he returned to his own berth, still holding the femme in his gentle but firm grip. He settled back down, curling around Rin, who seemed to be becoming increasingly upset.

She started muttering various human curses, as she did whenever he 'kidnapped' her. But she didn't seem to have enough energy to fight for long. Her straining arms only pushed back halfheartedly. And Sideswipe couldn't help but notice how she seemed to avoid putting any pressure on his wounds, not that she could hurt him. After a couple moments, Rin gave up altogether. Satisfied, Sideswipe pulled her even closer, soaking up the comfort from the soft contact.

He held her in silence, sensors tracking her calm heartbeat. He knew she wasn't really upset with him, not when she was so relaxed. After a few moments, she whispered, so quietly he had to strain his audios, "Thank you, Sideswipe." What surprised the mech even more was how she then burrowed her face into his armor, sighing contently.

Satisfied, he relaxed his grip and she slid to lay wedged between his arm and chassis. In his other servo was the comforter, which he flicked over the femme, tucking her in comfortably.

"You're a good friend." She murmured.

"Feeling better?" he asked in a subdued voice.

"Yeah." She breathed, adjusting slightly to get more comfortable.

One thing was for sure, he had no intention of letting her go for the rest of the night. They laid there silently, neither falling asleep. Sideswipe was content just to curl around his friend, hoping she was as comforted as he was. With a small jolt, he realized it had probably been a while since she had last been hugged.

Rin was so distant from her comrades, always keeping a professional air around them. Even the two humans which Sideswipe thought she might consider to be friends didn't initiate much contact with her, from what he saw while spying on them. The rest of the humans regarded her with a bit of apprehension. Any human who worked directly with the autobots was treated differently, as far as he could see.

Everyone needed a bit of physical interaction every once in a while. Sideswipe got plenty from Sunny, and vice versa. Even stick-up-the-aft Prowl had Jazz clinging to him. The thought of Rin's solitude drove Sideswipe to pull her closer, ever so slightly. She made no protest.

As the silence stretched, and Sideswipe felt recharge ebbing at his consciousness, Rin asked curiously, "Can you tell me more?"

The mech had to blink himself back online, trying to remember what she was talking about. "Uh, where did I leave off?"

"You said you and Sunstreaker lived on the streets." She prompted.

"Oh, right." Regaining his bearing, he continued, "We got good at surviving and found ways to earn credits, but we also had to learn how to defend ourselves. Sunny was already stronger than most mechs our age, and before we were ready for our third frames, we were known for our skills as well. Eventually we were approached by a mech named Dragstrip. He introduced us to the Pits."

"The gladiator arena." Rin stated. "Ironhide told me about it."

Sideswipe felt a hint of shame, he knew Ironhide distrusted them because of their history, fighting for credits, and he knew the old mech would try to impart some of those ideas on the femme whom he'd been mentoring. "It was the best way to get off the streets." he said defensively. "We got really good at it. It's nothing we were proud of, but we wouldn't have become the front liners we are now without it."

"I understand." She state simply. "You did what you had to do to survive. There's nothing wrong with that."

Sideswipe felt a stab of guilt. He had spoken to her with venom directed towards someone else. Rin had never given any sign that she judged them because of their past. "We should get some rest." He redirected quickly, "I'll tell you more later."

The femme didn't argue. She let out a muffled 'mmhmm'. The sound made it apparent that recharge would soon claim her.

Aside from her attention, there was one more thing Sideswipe craved at that moment. "Rin, could you sing something?"

It was hard to see her face from his angle, but it seemed that her eyes were cast down, a rare self-conscious expression pressing a frown over her lips. "Maybe some other time." She muttered.

Sideswipe pressed on, though. "Please, just one song?"

She paused for a moment, before finally, "Fine, what do you want?"

Sideswipe felt a hot wave of excitement wash over his spark. He had been longing to hear her sing again, but every time he asked, she refused. Something must have changed. He also realized in that moment, he had just forced himself to be once again alert. He'd never fall into recharge at this rate. "How about something calm, good for recharge?" he suggested.

Rin sighed deeply, gathering her thoughts. The silence stretched on and, for a moment, Sideswipe was worried she'd changed her mind.

But his patience was soon rewarded.

"Little child, be not afraid, the rain pounds harsh against the glass like an unwanted stranger, there is no danger, I am here tonight." She sounded so gentle, like a carrier soothing a sparkling.

Sideswipe wished he could take that voice and wrap it around his spark. He'd never feel lonely or fearful again. Instead, he felt content to just listen as her music lulled him into the most peaceful recharge he'd experienced in vorns.

* * *

Days had passed since the battle with the insecticons. Sideswipe was the first to be released from Ratchet's care. Erin was kept on observation for an additional twenty four hours. That didn't stop the twins from visiting her, though.

It was surprisingly pleasant having their company, although Ratchet eventually kicked them out when he caught the silver mech riffling through his desk. Franky and Adam also stopped by, the former of which greatly surprised Erin. She knew the older man was terrified of the autobots and kept a reasonable distance from them. Adam, on the other hand, was more used to working with them, Ironhide especially, and barely batted an eye when the weapons specialist came lumbering in, making the visit from her human comrades short lived.

Ratchet was fascinated by Erin's resilience to energon. He was quick to deduce that she had poison exposure therapy, allowing her to build an immunity to various toxic chemicals. Luckily, that may have saved her life after her blood was contaminated with the blue substance.

With her permission, the medic had tested energon on samples of her blood to see how her cells would react. He later reported that light exposure was neutralized, although the base chemical structure of the energon remained safely in her system. However, as he added more, the immune reaction was quickly overtaken and her blood practically separated as her cells were torn apart and clotting factors were activated to create clumps of dried cells floating in plasma. It was apparent that any more than a few drops would have caused far more damage.

The burn on her forehead also appeared to be healing slowly. It would probably leave a scar, one of many that covered her body. Erin didn't mind it too much, although she would have preferred it not to mar her face. Fortunately, once healed, it would only leave a small white indent.

Once Erin was finally released from Ratchet's medical grip, she and the twins were given light duties while they healed.

Optimus Prime had caught up with Erin, commending her on her ingenuity in trapping the insecticons. The soldier was surprised to hear this, considering Sunstreaker was the sole witness of her act, and Erin had stated it quite plainly on her report. Perhaps the yellow mech elaborated on her contributions. At the same time, she heard nothing of her faults during the battle. She took the compliments as they came and did not correct the leader. It didn't benefit her to let him know of her mistakes.

Immediately after being released, Erin continued her normal exercise regimen, minus any sparring. It wasn't until five days after the battle that she and Sideswipe were approved to take part in combative exercises.

The silver mech still had a thick patch over his chassis where his armor had yet to fully fill back in. A mech with as much juvenile energy as him should not be banned from exercise for long, though. In the time it took Ratchet to give his medical approval, Sideswipe had gone on a pranking tirade. No one was safe.

Erin heard about how the tv in the human rec room randomly changed channels, usually from sports or news to kid shows or adult movies. Ironhide was found with a bumper sticker reading, 'Big Alt, Little Spike'. The door leading to Optimus Prime's office had a sign left in Cybertronian which Erin learnt had read, 'Relocated to Room C12', which was Que's lab. Finally, Sideswipe was nearly pummeled after Wheeljack found his downed ship, the Jackhammer, painted entirely orange. Starfish orange. It took two mechs to drag him off of Sideswipe. He was lucky he used water soluble paints, otherwise he would be scrap metal.

Eventually, the reign of terror was brought to an end, though, when Ratchet determined that Sideswipe would resort to more harmful ways to get his energy out, like starting random fights with healthy mechs.

Erin's blade was unrecoverable after the battle. Que had offered to design her a new blade, which the soldier readily agreed to. He even allowed her to give him some design requests. Until he finished his work, all she'd have would be her energon pistol. She missed the weight of her favorite weapon on her side.

At the training field, the mechs were practicing standard servo to servo contact while Erin mainly worked on her dodging reaction time. Mirage was paired with Sideswipe while Sunstreaker took on Bumblebee. The young mech's human friends watched on at a safe distance. Erin was left with Jazz. The smallest of the mechs was far quicker and analyzed Erin's movements with ease.

From the very beginning, it was clear that Jazz was just playing with Erin. He blasted some electric pop song over his speakers and half danced, half fought in rhythm with the beat. Each step he took was projected, but even so, he countered each of her reactions cleanly. She was trapped near his tapping pedes, unable to slide or roll way. He would strike within inches of her, never causing damage, but making it apparent how many times he could have killed her.

It pissed her off.

Jazz had always seemed to hold himself in check while sparring, adjusting to whatever skill his opponent was at. However, this time he made it known just how different they were. It was starting to become a distraction. Erin's mind was whirling, trying to figure out just what he was playing at. The knowing smile on his faceplates only confirmed her suspicions that something was up.

"You don't seem to be on your game, today." The saboteur casually commented, slowing his movements and reducing the irritating song he way playing. "You been getting enough sleep?" he popped the 'p' as Sideswipe would.

Erin raised her brow questioningly, still taking measures to avoid his pede as it crashed down next to her. She quickly rolled between his legs, only for his other leg to sweep in front of her path. Quickly, she stuck a leg out to soften her impact and kicked off him in another attempt to gain clearance. Her energy waning, she panted out, "I'm fine." Her voice sounded harsher than she meant to.

Her response seemed to interest the mech. He chuckled lightly, still dancing his attacks on her, "I don't think so. You haven't been sneaking off at night, have you?" His visor shined with something which Erin could not identify.

The comment caught her off guard. She missed a crucial second and Jazz knocked her over. She landed breathlessly on her back as the mech loomed over her. Before she could counter, his pede lightly pressed over her chest, keeping her pinned. "What… what are you talking about." Erin relaxed her body, showing that she gave to defeat, but the silver mech did not release her.

Instead his smile widened, "Oh, I'm just speculating. You're one mysterious femme, I wouldn't be surprised if you were keeping a few _secrets_." After another moment, he finally stepped back.

Erin remained still for another moment, taking in what he said. Trying not to show how startled she was by his eerie smile and odd tone, she schooled her features and jumped to her feet. "I know you're an intelligence officer," she stated casually, "but you should learn to live with a few secrets." She wave him off, hoping he didn't see through her false demeanor. "But, you did kick my ass, how about we take five?" she suggested, wanting to get some distance from him.

"'Aight." He chanted, swaying off.

When she felt that his attention was focused elsewhere, Erin let out a deep breath. Jazz always seemed so cool and collected, but his sudden shift in mood was terrifying. Like a cat playing with a mouse. Something was up.

She glanced over in his direction, to see him speaking with Prowl. All signs of his creepily cheery attitude was gone. He looked like his normal self, reporting to a superior officer. Erin caught the SIC quickly glancing over in her direction. Something was off. It was like Jazz was trying to stress a certain response out of her. Whatever it was, the mech didn't look like he had gotten what he wanted.

A sharp scraping sound pulled Erin's attention. Her eyes shot over in time to see Sideswipe crash to the ground, servo clutching his chassis. Energon flowed from the patch Ratchet had set.

Mirage stood before him, venting heavily, his cooling fans were audible to the distance where Erin stood. He barked at the downed mech, "Watch your glossa, sporcizia!"

A flash of yellow slammed into the red mech, sending him flying backwards.

Sunstreaker stood, battle ready, staring threateningly at Mirage, but he didn't make a move. Erin knew just how high strung the yellow front liner had been since Sideswipe was hurt. He didn't like seeing his sibling so vulnerable. There was no telling whether or not he could hold himself in check.

"What's going on?" Jazz barked, inserting his small frame between the glaring warriors.

Erin took a step back, not wanting to be trampled should a scuffle break out.

Mirage, lacking any decent survival instinct, pointed accusingly at Sideswipe, who was sitting cross-legged, servo against his open wound, "This low vita bassa is the problem!" he spat.

Sunstreaker growled menacingly as Jazz placed a servo against his abdomen, warning him to stay back. It was hard to see from her angle, but Erin thought she glimpsed a flash of white in the larger 'bot's optics.

Sideswipe scoffed, not seeming overly worried about his own condition. "I just asked if he had any skills besides muttering smugly to himself."

"You would know to hold your glossa if your creator was ever around to teach you." Mirage seethed, "But what would you know about carriers, creator-killer?"

All the surrounding mechs flinched in surprise at Mirage's venomous words. Even Jazz dropped his guard long enough for Sunstreaker to roar past him. Erin barley realized what was happening before Sunstreaker started tearing into the infiltrator, literally.

Bumblebee and Jazz each reached for an arm, trying to pry the furious gladiator off Mirage, but with a powerful turn, he knocked them both to the ground.

Sam called worryingly to his guardian, but wisely kept his distance.

Erin glanced over to Sideswipe who stared at the ground, fury clear on his faceplates, optics paled to Sunstreaker's normal azure, but he didn't join the fight.

Prowl joined in trying to restrain Sunstreaker, but he batted the SIC away with ease. This was a side of the mech Erin had only heard of. With a rush of adrenaline, she sprinted to where he could see her. She pulled out her pistol and shot two powerful bursts to his chest plates, catching his attention just for a moment.

His blazing white optics seared into her, "Back off, meat sack!" he spit.

Sunstreaker's servos were clapped against Mirage's chest plates. Energon leaked from a broken line between his black digits. Mirage's fighting weakened as his optics dimmed. His spark was being crushed.

"Hey!" Erin shouted, hoping to distract him long enough for the three other autobots to tear him off. "Sunstreaker!" Still crushing the red mech, Sunstreaker glanced up. Erin searched for the right words, not wanting him to turn his fury on her, she wouldn't survive. "Who cares what he says!" she reasoned desperately, she couldn't let him kill Mirage. "He's just a pompous aft, no one cares what he thinks."

He looked back down to his victim, it looked as if his servos were releasing just a bit of pressure. She pushed on, "Look at me!" she commanded, willing herself not to flinch under his steely glare. "Get a grip." Erin held his gaze challengingly. "You are better than this," she gestured at the flailing mech under him, "you are better than him. Doing this just proves all the horrible things he says about you."

There was a pregnant pause. She placed a hand on her chest. "I know he's wrong." Erin was shaking, but she didn't know why. Blue pooled into Sunstreaker's optics. "And I know you do as well." Sunstreaker still looked angry, but the fire had melted away from his faceplates.

The warrior looked down at his pitiful victim with a snarl. He pushed himself off Mirage, staggering to his pedes. The autobots stood wearily around him. Sunstreaker glanced over to his brother, who had regained his own composure, energon no longer flowing from his wound.

With a growl the yellow mech transformed and shot off, leaving a mess behind him.

Sideswipe still sat, servo rubbing delicately over his chassis. Mirage had rolled over to his servos and knees; he seemed to be recovering. Prowl, Bumblebee, and Jazz all stared at Erin as a dust cloud kicked up by Sunstreaker billowed over them. The weight of their gazes was almost unnoticed by the soldier who looked back and forth between the quickly retreating front liner and the one sitting before her.

Mirage stumbled to his pedes, venting heavily with anger. "You are all ruffian!" He spat. "Our species has no hope in the servos of the lowly classe operaia, worker class."

Jazz shot his a venoumous look, "Watch what you say, mech, we're all autobots here."

"The only thing the autobots had accomplished is losing our home, and washing us up on this pianeta umile."

Prowl spoke calmly, as if he was unaffected by the treasonous comments, "Let's go, you need to see Ratchet." He nodded to Sideswipe, "You too, come."

He escorted the limping mech off the training field, towards the med bay. Sideswipe trailed not far behind. The silver mech knew better than to stir up trouble at that moment.

Brig time was all but guaranteed for the yellow mech, and should Ratchet clear him, Sideswipe would be joining his brother. It would be best for both of them not to make things any worse.

Bumblebee and Jazz transformed and drove off in search of Sunstreaker. Once he cooled down, they would try to take him to Prime's office for disciplinary action. As far as that goes, it was par for the course.

Erin knew the twins did this to themselves, but that did not stop the worry that pitted deep in her stomach.

* * *

*Erin sings Lullaby for a Stormy Night by Vienna Teng

*Sporcizia- filth

*Vita bassa- low life

*Piaeta umile- lowly planet


	25. Chapter 25

**Hello dear readers! Wow, it's been too long. Sorry about that. Do not worry, I promise I will not abandon this story. In fact, I have a spin-off in the works. That's right, soon (I don't know when yet) _I will be publishing a separate fanfiction about Erin and the twins_ that does not quite go with the main story. It will be a collection of one shots. Some chapters may be relevant to the story, others may be alternate versions of what is really happening. A couple are going to be downright silly. _I am going to welcome reader suggestions for story ideas._ I can't promise to be able to do every request, but feel free to write a review or PM me, I know I have already gotten a few PMs with story ideas and yes, some of those will make it into the one shots. I would also like to welcome any naming ideas for this other fanfiction. Updates will not be consistent since it won't be part of the main story, it's just a way to get my creativity out while giving my wonderful readers something. Thank you for your patience and please enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Thank you to my reviewers; SkyennhaMarisa, Cinematronix, SolusPrimeLightblast, KEZZ, (Guest- I appreciate it when someone reviews even if it isn't usually their thing- thank you so much) and MoonlightEvie0300**

Chapter 25

Prowl held back a disappointed sigh. After so many months with hardly any incidents, aside from a few immature pranks, the base had been relatively peaceful. A feat for which he was grateful. As he still had nothing to go on in terms of the base's intruder, if he was even still on the island, the twins' relative quietness was a welcome reprieve. As history had taught him, though, he could never expect peace to last for long.

A small part of him understood the reasons behind Sunstreaker's outburst. Everybot was wound up after the recent increase in decepticon activity. In fact, it was surprising that Sunstreaker lasted as long as he did after his twin had been injured. The fact that he maintained control during the battle with the insecticons showed how much he had changed. And Prowl whole-sparkedly believed it had something to do with Specialist Erin.

Ever since she joined their ranks, both mechs seemed to handle themselves with at least some semblance of control. Sunstreaker's gladiator mode would have, admittingly, led to the total destruction of the insecticons who harmed Sideswipe. However, because he kept himself in check, he was able to capture two of the enemy. Thus preventing one from potentially offlining Erin and going on a rampage while the gold front liner blindly enacts his vengeance.

Such control should be commended, so Prowl decidedly looked the other way for the past few days while Sideswipe made a few harmless pranks. However, rules cannot be ignored, and it was his duty to enforce them. Therefore, he had begrudgingly ordered Ironhide to lead a mostly pacified Sunstreaker to the brig, Sideswipe walking in of his own volition.

Finally, upon her insistence, Prowl was leading Erin to the cells. After the incident between Mirage and Sunstreaker, the young soldier had disappeared. Prowl had hoped that she had gone after Sunstreaker, or was trying to head him off. However, she soon reappeared in different clothes. Prowl was unsure over how to feel about the femme's apparent indifference to being brigged. He hoped it was the result of her straightforward and calm demeanor, alternatively to an inheritance of the twin's disregard for the implementation of authority.

Her step was weighted with exhaustion, otherwise unseen in her relaxed attitude. Prowl found it difficult to imagine such a serious femme getting along with the twins. He had already assumed that any sane human would be unable to handle Sideswipe's boisterous energy and Sunstreaker's cold ferocity. However, Specialist Brook had managed to find her niche among them. This gave Prowl an idea.

He led her down to the comparatively large cells that resided below the main hanger. On either side of the hall were a row of four rooms with walls boxing in three sides. Halogen lights brightened the room, making it look less like a dungeon.

In the second to last cell on the left sat Sideswipe, cross-legged on the ground. He was smiling expectantly at Prowl, no doubt trying to hide whatever he was discussing with his twin prior to the SIC's arrival. Adjacent to the silver mech was Sunstreaker. He was already laying on his low berth, back facing the cell bars.

"Sunstreaker," he addressed the front liner, "It had been Mirage's duty to clean the brig this evening." The SIC spared no moment of hesitation while the other mech growled at the mention of his victim. "Since he is convalescing in the med bay, the cleanliness of the cells are below standard. I have placed you two in the most decent ones, leaving Ms. Brook here." His optics flashed briefly. "In fairness to her and her health, I will be placing her with you for the night."

Sunstreaker's head jerked so that his near-white optics could sear into Prowl. "Keep her out of here!" he hissed. He turned back away, head resting on the low berth, muttering, "Throw her in the dirt for all I care."

Prowl quickly recalculated his plan. The was clearly more far gone than he had anticipated. He would be sure to inquire from Ironhide as to what Sunstreaker's status was while he escorted him to his cell.

Not wanting to risk the soldier's well-being, he stepped away, intending on leading her to a further cell, for her own protection. However, Sideswipe caught his attention.

"Hey, Prowl," he said in a sing-song voice. "Just set her up with me." He winked an optic to his small teammate. "Wouldn't want her slumming it elsewhere."

A rare sense of frustration made Prowl's wings twitch. His plan had, apparently, backfired. Caught in his bluff, the SIC opted to open the silver warrior's cell, allowing Specialist Brook inside.

Sideswipe shined with triumph as he reached a welcoming servo to the femme. "Come on, sweetspark." He called.

Specialist Brook, stood just past the door, well out of the mech's reach.

Prowl turned and left, heading for his office. There was always more work to be done.

Jazz was, unsurprisingly, waiting for him. He sat perched atop Prowl's desk, staring intently at his friend as the larger mech entered. Without preamble, he spoke, "Did they all go peacefully?"

"Mostly," he reported, "Sunstreaker still has yet to recover from this most recent episode."

"It was pretty incredible what the kid did." There was no need for Jazz to specify just whom he was talking about.

"We were fortunate this time." Prowl conceded. "It seems that her overall influence has been positive on the twins."

Jazz's visor flashed "It's tragic, considering what she may be involved in."

Prowl's optics narrowed, interest peaked. "Did you find anything?"

"Yeah," Jazz leaned forward, a grim expression on his faceplates. "Adam Walker's in the clear. His alibi checked out. That's one more down."

Prowl had to fight a disappointed sigh. That only raised the probability of Ms. Brook being the culprit. It seemed his worse fears were coming closer to fruition. She could be such an asset to their operation; not only by her skill but her apparent ability to 'tame' Sunstreaker and Sideswipe.

Seeming to read Prowl's processor, Jazz stated, "Ya know it won't go well if she turns out to be the perp." His optics dimmed, "Maybe we should prepare the twins for the worse."

It was sound advice, but nevertheless, Prowl shook his helm. "They are ruled by their emotions. We'd never have time to find definitive proof with them rampaging around. Besides, if we are wrong, there is no telling what the effect could be on them. And I am confident Prime will agree."

"I get that." The silver mech conceded, "They aren't the most trusting to begin with." Then he added, "But will you talk to him about it?"

"Of course." While Prowl was in charge of the investigation, he would never leave such an important decision to himself without his leader's counsel.

"Well, I best get goin'." Jazz stood, waving off his friend, "Ratchet wants to run another battery of tests."

Prowl nodded sympathetically, he knew how much Jazz felt chained down by his condition, and a sense of guilt never ceased deep within his spark whenever he saw the mech's struggles. Although, selfish as it may seem, he would rather have this than face the alternative.

Prowl was not on Earth when Megatron offlined Jazz, but when he first arrived and learned the news, he felt as if he himself had been torn in two. That was why he made the plea with Optimus. His reasoning was sound, there were so few of them left, even if the ancient law forbade it. But ultimately it was his own grief that drove him to the outlawed practice. While the allspark was used to heal and create, it was never meant to pull a spark out of the Well.

But it was a sin he would defend even to Primus himself.

* * *

Erin grit her teeth. Prowl thought he was being clever, but he should have just stayed out of their business. It was bad enough she was in the brig, whether or not it was to show her loyalty to their team. But she did not want to be stuck in a cage with either mech. Dirty cells her ass, she just wanted to take advantage of this newfound free time and take a nap or workout; the cells were certainly large enough.

But Prowl had to get in the way of things. She knew what he was thinking, trying to stick her with Sunstreaker. 'She managed to talk him down before, maybe she could help'. But that was not how things were. All Erin managed to do was convince him to blow off steam somewhere else. The last thing she wanted was to be in a confined space with him in such a state. And of course Sideswipe would take advantage of Sunstreaker's denial, leaving her stuck with an over jovial 'bot. Honestly, sometimes she did not understand why she dealt with those two. They could be so infuriating at times. At least some of the time. Or maybe just this instance.

Erin turned to see Sideswipe smiling victoriously as Prowl left. She shook her head at his attitude. Even when he's locked in a cage under ground level he still managed to find small joys in life.

"Well, Sweetspark," he slapped his servos together, "how do you want to pass the time?"

Sunstreaker grumbled from across the hall, "Will you just shut up?"

Sideswipe shot his twin a narrow glance, which Erin was unsure whether he could sense through their bond. The yellow mech showed no sign of awareness or caring. "Anyway," he continued, picking up enthusiasm ad standing to his full height, "we could watch some movies!"

Erin headed towards the low hanging berth, just past Sideswipe. It was only a few feet in the air, allowing her to lie on a clean surface without being precariously high. "How about we play the quiet game?" she said sarcastically as she lifted herself onto the hard surface. Sunstreaker's and Sideswipe's own berths were comprised of interlocking metal pieces that conformed to their weight and cradled them. This, however, was just a slab of metal with thick supports underneath.

She turned to see the silver mech pouting. His shoulders slumped in disappointment as he scraped his pede across the concrete floor, making a hard grinding noise. Despite her irritation, she felt a stab of guilt. He looked genuinely put out. Erin sighed loudly, prompting the petulant 'bot to glance up hopefully. "What do you want to watch?" she relented.

Sideswipe immediately perked up, quickly sitting by her so their hips were touching. He pulled out the data pad he snuck in and held it within view of Erin. The image on the screen showed a myriad of cybertronian script. The mech quickly scrolled through it until English appeared, labeling various folders that seemed to be about human culture. It was neatly organized in rows of two. Erin read with interest, before he could click one of the lower folders, "Human Military Stuff", "Comics", "Comics2"- Erin could only guess that was full of pranking ideas or materials, concealed in a way that by-the-book-Prowl wouldn't investigate- and "Females". The word was gone in a flash as Sideswipe scrolled through the movie titles he had pulled up. What kind of research was he doing on females?

An odd though struck Erin's head but she quickly stomped it down and moved her attention back towards the movies. Sideswipe was slowly scrolling through the titles and, with a start, Erin realized he was waiting for her to pick one out. She pointed at the first one that caught her eye, "How about that one?"

"Ok." Sideswipe immediately tapped it, giving Erin only a moment to really read the title, 'Mr & Mrs. Smith'. She'd never heard of it before.

As the movie began to play, Erin found herself being shifted by massive servos. Sideswipe scooped her up, holding her out of the way as he settled himself on the berth. Instinctively, she grabbed onto his digits for balance as he rolled onto his abdomen, elbows propping him up. He then placed Erin in front of him, her beck resting on his left shoulder plate. He held the data pad out with both servos as the movie commenced. Feeling awkward, but not particularly uncomfortable, Erin settled against her inflexible backrest and stared at the screen.

Within moments Erin realized her tactical mistake. This was a date movie. She found herself internally cringing at each scene. It wasn't that she particularly hated the movie, but watching the drama of a relationship play out was not her ideal way to spend time with Sideswipe. It felt awkward, especially when the characters started their 'lovemaking'. She could see it coming from the very beginning to the film, and watchingseeing it suggested on screen felt just as uncomfortable as she thought it would.

Sideswipe didn't seem to take notice in his discomfort. Instead, he laughed along with the actor's quips and otherwise watched enraptured with the film. He hardly moved, aside from nearly silent vents inches from Erin's ear, a subtle reminder of his presence. She could also feel a slight buzzing through her back, the beat of a spark and pulse of energon through his lines. They were in an oddly intimate position, but Sideswipe did not appear to be aware. He didn't even make any kind of inappropriate joke.

It seemed that Erin was the only one making a deal out of her little situation. Nevertheless, when the movie was finally, over, Erin had to hold back a sign of relief. That breath was quickly turned into a surprised squeak as she was again held in the air like a doll. She found herself propped atop a silver chassis.

"Sideswipe!" she gasped, face turning an embarrassing pink.

He didn't take a single notice to her reaction. "So," she started conversationally, "did you like the movie?" His servo rested lightly on Erin's back, whether it was to balance her or keep her put, she did not know. However, one of his digits started tracing the line along her spine in soothing strokes.

Erin decidedly ignored us question. Instead, she all but growled, "Keep petting me like a dog and I'll tear your armor off." Ignoring his servo, she swung her legs over the side of his chassis so she could slide back into the berth.

Instead of fighting her retreat, Sideswipe turned onto his side so he was again facing her. "What will it take for me to be able to take yours off?" he smiled cockily.

"You are shameless." Erin shot back, heading to jump off the berth. "Quit joking." She muttered.

Much to her dismay, Sideswipe once again tried to grab her, only this time she quickly dodged his servo and stepped onto the ground. "Who said I was joking?" his voice dropped an octave.

She scoffed at his audacity and settled herself well out of his reach, against a cold wall of their cell. Her arms were crossed, metaphorically keeping him out. She didn't like how he would try to play with her like that. She was not some toy for his entertainment. Couldn't he see how his 'flirtations', though a joke, were not winning her favor in any way?

Instead of attempting another capture, though, he just reached out his servo in a welcoming gesture. "Come on, sweetspark. At least let me keep you warm."

A cold chill ran through her spine as the metal wall seeped away whatever heat her body had. Erin raised a brow, "Will you behave?" she tried to keep her teeth from chattering. Under the earth where the sun did not shine, the cells maintained a low temperature. It was nothing she couldn't handle, but it certainly was not preferable.

"Promise." Sideswipe nodded his helm with definitiveness and Erin found herself believing him.

Once again she moved, but this time within the hospitable reach of her friend. Sideswipe allowed her to settle herself so she was leaning back against him. He did feel warm. Erin was relieved to see his mischievous grin had faded into a gentle smile. The mech could be irritating at times but she actually liked him in this state.

"So," he prompted once again, "Did you like the movie?"

"It was fine." She added, "Not quite what I was expecting." It was a bit embarrassing to admit she had no idea what she had chosen.

"Me neither." Sideswipe laughed. So he hadn't seen it either. "I haven't seen most of the movies in that folder, I just downloaded it off some website that said they were good for dates."

"What?"

"What?" he asked innocently before quickly moving on, "So what did you think of the story? Two lovers sent out to kill each other?"

Erin took a second to store at the mech before thinking of her answer. "I probably would have pulled the trigger." She replied slowly, still focusing on his last comment.

Sideswipe's response only mildly surprised her, he flinched hard enough to shake her. She looked into his large, concerned optics. The small rings dividing what Erin assumed to be his pupil and the same colored 'iris' rotated in quick, smooth circles before turning back, as if he was refocusing his gaze. "But why? That person would be your mate."

She sighed at the innocence of the question. "Well, I don't know how it works on your planet, but just calling them a couple doesn't actually bind people. Betrayal is always a real possibility. If my husband was an assassin sent after me, I would always assume he would finish the job." By the look on Sideswipe's faceplates, Erin could tell none of this was coming through to him. "Think of it this way," she explained, "An assassin will do whatever it takes to get the job done, people who are willing to kill for money don't have the liberty of using a moral compass. So if an assassin was after me, I would imagine any ethical code they go by is put on hold until there's a bullet in my head. So by not killing them first, I die and whatever relationship we had is ended. It's better to survive and move on."

Apparently her matter-of-fact statement did not get through to the warrior. He held her gaze with a steady frown, studying her face for a moment. "I couldn't do it." He said solemnly. "When a mech gives his spark to someone else, nothing can break that bond. Even if my mate betrayed me, I don't think I could do the same in return."

"But allowing yourself to be assassinated would also offline Sunstreaker." She countered, "Would you really want to be responsible for that?"

From across the room, Sunstreaker stirred from his berth. "Don't bother," he told his twin, "she's human, she'll never understand."

The statement felt cutting, worse than she thought it would. No matter how close she got to the twins, there would always be a barrier between them. And although that was probably for the best, something in Erin urged her to fight the statement. "Just because I'm human doesn't mean we're that different." She tried to explain, "It's just a variance of minds. After all, this movie wouldn't 'be' if all humans thought survival trumps partnership. I just see it in a different way." She felt oddly defensive, as if her beliefs were in question. Should she really pull the trigger? Would she?

Sideswipe didn't sound upset like his twin was, instead he appeared to be sympathetic. A gentle digit coaxed her to lean back against him. Erin turned so that her shoulder was taking in his unnatural frame heat and she could look directly into his optics. "If you truly loved someone, even if they betrayed you, wouldn't you put their life before your own?"

The question surprised her. Loyalty and trust are essential to relationships. Without that, what was left? "If they betray me, then are they really the person I love?" she disputed.

"For me," he spoke slowly, choosing his words with care, "Losing that trust would be like offlining itself."

"But you can still _live_." She urged. "What is the point of dying for someone who never really loved you?"

"And who says they never did?" he pleaded back to her. "Their betrayal doesn't mean there was nothing there to begin with. They just chose to break that trust when they took the job. The feeling is still there."

Erin snorted disbelievingly, "Well you're older than me, so maybe you've experienced something I haven't."

Sideswipe smiled cloyingly, "Or it might be the other way around." Erin blinked at the simple statement, but he wasn't finished. "You're a good fighter, but your social skills suck." His lip plates quirked fondly.

Erin took slight offense to this. He had no right to judge her. His twin refuse to even interact with ninety eight percent of the base and he himself would literally grab her if he wanted to hang out instead of inviting here like a normal person. He was the last person to judge her social skills. "I find that I've been relatively successful with what I have at my disposal."

"You're successful, but are you happy?" He asked. "You treat everything like a mission."

Sunstreaker spoke up once again, bac still facing his twin, "Just forget it, alright? It's probably just 'cause of that crazy-aft training she went through. Anyone would end up messed up after whatever she did."

"You don't know what she did." Sideswipe shot back defensively.

"I know enough." The yellow mech countered. Erin felt a flash of worry he would tell his twin what he had learned.

Sideswipe shot Erin quick glance but addressed his brother, "Like what?"

"Nothing." The yellow warrior grumbled.

"She didn't come into being when she was recruited, though" Sideswipe curled his legs closer, so that he was practically surrounding Erin in a defensive cuddle. "She had a life before that, right?" This time the question was directed at Erin. His optics were encouraging her to defend herself.

She hesitated. "I don't really talk about it."

Sideswipe pleaded, "Oh, come on. You've hardly told us anything about yourself!"

Erin looked towards Sunstreaker, hoping me would tell his twin to mind his own fragging business. However, the mech didn't stir. She was on her own, and telling him off herself wouldn't discourage the mech, besides, it was hard to yell at him when he had such a youthful look on his faceplates. "You know I had a sister, no parents, and I was a trouble maker as a kid. What else is there to know?"

"Everything else!" he said riled, "I have answered every question you've thrown at me."

That was not entirely true. Erin could tell that when subjects got too personal, he would scoot around the issue, often throwing a myriad of slightly related data at her, in an attempt to subvert her attention. While Erin allowed this to happen, she always took notice.

"Fine." She said through gritted teeth, "What do you want to know?" She wasn't really the type to pour her heart out, granted she did have a weak moment or two a few days prior.

Sideswipe practically bounced with joy, he always seemed to get his way with her. "How did you learn to fight?" he blurted out.

"You already asked that." It wasn't an exciting story to begin with.

"And you hardly gave me a proper answer." He whined, giving her a well practiced pouting face.

"Fine." She repeated. "Then let me elaborate." She thought for a moment before continuing, "The orphanage I grew up in was known for keeping us kids active, I think our caretakers got more funding per kid for it. We were allowed to enroll in activities as long as the community center we used covered it, so they kept all the extra profits. That's how I started my singing lessons." Sideswipe seemed to beam at the mention of current obsession. He was always asking her to sing. "When I was six years old, some older boys in the orphanage tried to take something from me. I don't know what it was, but I refused to give it up. They beat me up and all I did was curl into a ball until Cora came and scared them off. After that, she convinced our caretakers to enroll us into the community center's self-defense class. We were the youngest kids there, but we learned quickly and practiced on each other. Once our caretakers took notice of this skill, they agreed to pay for advance martial arts training in exchange for extra chores. That's how I learned for about four years." It wasn't the engaging story Sunstreaker had told her earlier that week. She wasn't thrown onto the streets like they were, in fact, what she would tell them next would be her own fault. "When we were only ten, we started to get involved with some unsavory teens. I think Cora introduced me after crushing on one of them. Anyway, I ended up picking a fight with one of the boys and promptly got my ass kicked. So, we adapted, and learned how to fight dirty. We hung out more with this one gang." She added quickly, "They weren't real criminals, like you could imagine, but we were a still considered 'delinquents'." Erin decidedly ignored the mischievous gin on Sideswipe's face, apparently he didn't entirely believe in her innocence. "They were the ones who first taught me to use a gun, but don't share that with Prowl, I'm sure he'd have whatever you pass for an aneurysm." She could already imagine it, he'd probably have a glitch over the thought. "When I was fifteen, I joined the JROTC along with Cora, we thought if we could go to a military academy, we could get away from the orphanage. Our physical skills caught the eye of recruiters and within a few months we joined an advance wing of the JROTC. Every weekend we would travel and stay in barracks up in Seattle. It was a lot of work, but we were closer to our goal." She decidedly skipped the part where she had lost her sister. "A few days before I turned eighteen, I was approached by a general in charge of a special unit training unit. I wouldn't necessarily be in the military, the government funded the program. It was either that, getting three squares a day, or being thrown onto the streets the moment I was of legal age. So, I chose to join the program. My training was accelerated, and I developed the skills I now have." She concluded. She wouldn't say anything else, after all, Sideswipe knew the rest was top secret.

"Was it worth it?" He asked, obviously referring to the mysterious program the entered. His optics scanned her. She recognized that look, he was studying her scars. She couldn't buff them out like he could. They were mostly faded, a human would have to look closely to see them crisscrossing over her arms and throat. The most visible one was from Sideswipe's energon, not that he knew that. The burn marring her forehead would not likely fade like the others had.

She shrugged casually, "I got away, didn't I?"

Sideswipe's optic ridges furrowed. "Was it really that bad there?"

Erin felt uncomfortable under his sorrowful gaze. After what she had learned about the twins' past, the history she shared with them seemed tame. "No, I could've run away, but I saw leaving as a better opportunity for me. Besides, for years I watched the other kids leave the orphanage only to end up with menial jobs or living on the same streets we played in. Joining the military was my best chance to get away. Besides, they made me stronger."

"It doesn't sound like you did it to be happy, though." The silver mech shook his head. "You just went through the motions."

Unwisely, Erin let a prickle of irritation guide her words, "What about you? Were you happy to be gladiators? Fighting for other's entertainment?" She sounded far harsher than she had intended, the sound of her own voice making her cringe.

"Yes." Sideswipe held a steady gaze, he appeared to be neither offended or even mindful of her outburst. "It was for survival, but we enjoy the fight. We got credits and femmes. At the time, before all this slag with losing our planet, we were doing what made us happy. I'm not proud of it, but that's why we did what we did. And now we are here to fight the decepticons because we like it." Erin got a glance of something she's only seen a few times. Whenever she watched Sideswipe and Sunstreaker spar each other, or when she watched them fight the insecticons, there was a glimmer of something dangerous.

"Is there anything that you want in life?"

Erin started, it took her a second to recognize what he had said. "You sure know how to ask the hard questions." She shook her head, "I don't know."

"Well, until you find out, why don't you just try to be happy." Sideswipe suggested simply.

Honestly, Erin could not remember the last time she genuinely tried to enjoy herself. She was always looking for the motivations behind people's actions, or checking around the corner for the next unwelcomed surprise. It was warming to hear how easy it sounded. With a deep sigh, she released some of the strain in her body, forcing relaxation. "Could you read me one of your comics?" she asked quietly.

Sideswipe smiled and nodded.

They settled down, Erin leaning heavily against Sideswipe while he held the data pad within her view. Somehow, he linked to it and programed the screen so that the words disappeared and as he narrated the story or said the character's lines, a soft white glow would form around the box containing that scene. His voice impressions were greatly flawed, which amused Erin, considering how easily the 'bots seemed to be able to adapt different accents and languages. She got the sense he did this on purpose. It sounded more familiar and put her at ease. She hardly had a clue as to what was going on in the comic, but listening to him play out the story made her relax and she found herself feeling happy.

* * *

Sideswipe was in so much trouble, both with himself, and his temperamental twin. Sunny had certainly gotten used to their human's presence. He even reluctantly admitted to enjoy her company. And whether or not he acknowledged it himself, Sunny came to depend on her quick wit in battlefield situations. However, there were certain limits that he, no matter what his true feelings were, would not cross. Cuddling was one of them.

That was why Sideswipe could feel his brother's searing gaze as Rin lay asleep on his silver arm, carefully cradled off the ground. Sunny had told him she was a light sleeper, but she showed no signs waking, even after he shifted her in his grasp so he could find a comfortable sitting position. His yellow brother didn't say anything, but the waves of anger and disgust rolling through the bond were loud enough. He had become increasingly suspicious of Sideswipe and for good reason.

It was too late for the silver warrior. He truly cared about Rin, more than he should. And having her in his arms made his spark soar. It didn't take much for him to decide to test the boundaries of these feelings between them, seeing how close Rin would let him get. Slowly but surely, she was letting him in, thus why he was in so much trouble. The more she welcomed him, the harder he fell. Sunny was no doubt feeling the effects of this through their bond, no matter how hard Sideswipe tried to keep it contained. He was surprised his twin had not already found out his little secret; the mere absurdity of the whole situation must have kept him off the trail so far. But with his spark accepting this so easily, he could only imagine Sunny was keeping a secret of his own. Because while they may find themselves with different hobbies and interests at times, love was something that always bound them. Even if it wasn't a physical longing which Sideswipe unfortunately had, they both must feel at least somewhat the same.

They were in love with Erin.


	26. Chapter 26

**Hello Dear Readers! I hope you are all enjoying the story so far. I love the theories some of you are coming up with! Whether or not they are true, who knows? Now, it's gonna get hot and heavy in this chapter and, since you all know this is still my first story, I have yet to gain much experience in _this_ type of content. Those who are my senior with MA romance stories, I would very much appreciate your constructive feedback. Finally, the start of the side story _Freedom One-Shots_ will be within the next week. There will be no consistent upload schedule and each chapter is a one-shot, as the name suggests. Now, I am not in love with the title so if there are any suggestions that use "Freedom" in the name, I would love to hear them.**

 **As always, thank you to all the wonderful reviewers out there; Nevermorea, KEZZ 1, Teletraan, shelby20125, SkyenhaMarisa, Cinematronix, SolusPrimeLightblast, .Princess (X2)**

 **WARNING: This chapter contains mature sexual content. Contains twincest.**

Chapter 26

It wasn't often that the command center was used for 'autobot only' debriefings. It was much to Optimus Prime's regret that the humans, Captain Lennox especially, were in the dark over their activities. However, as time passed and there was remaining evidence of a human infiltrator, he has had no choice but to tighten security measures for the sake of the base. Although he would trust the Captain with his life, he could not risk their enemy gaining vital information through their human allies, whatever the method.

In the recent months, Third in Command, Jazz had uncovered two different types of spyware, very distinctive in build. The saboteur had surmised that Mech used a diverse range of technology to avoid universal detection. One such device was found in the Prime's own office. It was a small clear film, only a quarter inch in length and width. It blended with its surroundings in ultra violet and infrared light. It emitted no signal so a tracker could not detect it. It was only in a streak of caution that Jazz decided to flood Prime's office with radiation, destroying the device and making the grey, smoldering remains visible.

Since then, all high security meetings had been conducted in the command center where access is most limited. Jazz could sweep through the room with blasts of radiation without exposing the humans outside through the thick walls and sealed vents. Que had made a radiovoid to drain the excess radiation after each meeting. At the very least it helped put Prime's guilt at ease, even if the humans knew of his team's investigation, they could not attend such meetings without significant risk to their personal health.

This particular meeting had not been planned. Prime's TIC had sent him a high priority ping embedded with the code signifying the Mech investigation. By the time Prime and Prowl arrived, Jazz had already prepped the room.

It was immediately apparent to Prime that Jazz's news would not be in their favor. His nonchalant shell had been shed, standing in its place was the meticulous saboteur. His optics were light, battle protocols ready. He stood tall and straight, although his frame was already stressed along the poorly healed fracture lines.

Prowl, having known the silver mech far longer than Prime had, appeared concerned; as much as the regal mech could. At the sight of his friend, the SIC's door wings were lowered slightly and inched closer together. It was subtle, but Prime's trained optics could pick out the minute details.

Allowing a moment for each mech to be seated, the red mech began with no preamble. :Jazz, was have you discovered?: Comm links were solely used in these meetings, as an extra precaution.

Said 'bot's glowing optics glanced down as he considered his options. :Teletraan's systems were used this morning, without authorization.: He took a deep vent before continuing, :Autobot codes were used.:

A heavy silence weighted over the mechs, each accepting the information in their own ways. Teletraan was the unit used for classified autobot files. It was also one of the sole remaining pieces of original Cybertronian data technology. Prime adjusted into the commander he needed to be. :Jazz, what was accessed?:

:Weapon designs.: he reported cleanly.

Prime turned to his Second in Command, :Is there a possibility these were accessed with good intentions?:

Prime could see Prowl's battle-calibrated processor was searching for every possibility. :Highly unlikely.:

He nodded in reluctant agreement. All his troops knew Teletraan's data was highly only to be accessed with express permission. :Who could have done this?: he queried his command staff.

Jazz remained uncharacteristically silent, helm bent low. Prowl took over, allowing his friend time to process; what that was, Prime did not know.

His SIC, no doubt already combing through personnel files, began his report, :Que already has access to these designs, so there is no need for him to use Teletraan. Wheeljack is also clear, Wreckers use different codes than the rest of us. Ironhide is too much of a mech of character, he would never do such a thing. The same goes for Bumblebee. Sideswipe may act like his objectives don't align with ours, but he is loyal, no matter what others may say.:

:And Sunstreaker?: Prime prompted. As a relatively volatile mech who was raised in Kaon, the decepticon capital, he had an eerily similar history to Megatron. After raising between frames in impoverished conditions, he made a name for himself as a gladiator and learned to use violence as a solution to most problems. What separated him from his twin was that his own vanity blinded him to the suffering of others.

:I don't see a reason why he would do it.: Prowl objected, :The decepticons are too weak to offer him a place among them, besides, he would never betray Sideswipe.: Nothing, though, was said in defense of the mech's character.

:What about Mirage?: While Prime tried to remain unbiased concerning his troops, Mirage had always been considered a security risk. He chose a faction late in the war, right as their planet's last dying light was extinguished. It was only the deceptions' apparent violence towards the higher castes that swayed Mirage towards the autobots.

:That is the highest possibility.: Prowl grimly replied. :However,: he continued, :There is another factor to consider. If the infiltrator we've been tracking managed to copy these codes, he could have used them as a distraction. Or alternatively, a means of showing off his skill.:

Prime felt troubled to consider any of the mechs whom he led to be capable of betrayal- it was far more convenient to pin the blame on this unnamed enemy- but this was his duty. :We also must consider the motivation behind such an action. It could be a personal betrayal, or done in service of Mech or the decepticons.: he added.

:Prime, sir.: Jazz spoke up after his long contemplation. Without waiting for a response he continued, sounding mournful, :I would like to be removed from command staff and this investigation.:

Prime and Prowl both visibly jumped at this admission. Disregarding protocol, in favor of a more personal approach, Optimus Prime placed a servo on his TIC's shoulder plate and spoke out loud, "What troubles you, my friend?"

Jazz did not look up as he addressed his commanding officer, instead his downcast optics held shame. "I can't trust myself right now." H explained. "You discussed who could and couldn't have done this, but you never considered me."

"Jazz," Prowl stated firmly, "Ratchet assured us the dampeners are protecting your processor."

The silver mech snapped his helm up, "Do you even know what this is?" he asked accusingly. "Cause I don't! Ratchet's only guessing!" He turned to Prime, not daring to speak his next words out loud, :No one knows exactly how the allspark works and no one can know how Megatron got his influence over it! That's why you shouldn't trust me. We. Don't. Know. I could be a decepticon walking among you!:

:That's enough.: Prime commanded. Wisely, Jazz ceased his argument, allowing the commander to speak. :It is true that we have never before seen such an effect by the allspark;: he conceded, :however, I have always trusted you as one of my most loyal officers and I will continue to do so until clear evidence persuades me to do otherwise.: Jazz lowered his helm, not daring to speak against the words of a Prime. He stated more likely, :You will continue to serve as my Third in Command, Jazz. Your expertise and loyalty are invaluable and I would trust you with my own spark.:

:And I need you as well.: Prowl added, :Your knowledge in spy tactics is essential to this investigation.:

Jazz glanced between the two of them, appearing unconvinced, but said nothing. So, Prime continued, :You're request is hereby denied, Jazz.: The mech nodded numbly.

Prime felt guilt flow through his conscience. He was the one who gave the order to bring Jazz back from the Well using a tainted allspark. And his friend had been suffering ever since that disastrous day.

* * *

"You fucking idiot!" Mirage reeled back at his accomplice's sudden outburst, but the agent wasn't done. "I told you not to make a _single_ move without orders!" 56 was seething, this ruined many of Division's upcoming plans and Mirage was not the one who would face the fallout.

Appearing to steel himself, the flashy red mech leaned in threateningly, "Watch it, umano. You are speaking to a member of casta d'élite." He narrowed his optics as if to challenge the human before him, "You asked for intelligenza and I gave it."

"No, you fucking trash can! You just compromised yourself over data I could have taken months ago!" The agent wanted nothing more than to shoot that machine in the faceplates. That would be nothing compared to what Division would have planned for 56 should this mission turn south.

Mirage blinked in surprise, " Cosa intendi?"

"Division copied the autobot codes straight from their main server." 56 explained, still bubbling with anger. "We've been waiting to use them because we didn't want the autobots to suspect a mole among their ranks."

The situation finally seemed to dawn on the mech. His optics widened with what the agent could only assume was fear. "Primus." He muttered to himself, then to 56, "They'll know ho commesso tradimento!" He looked at his coconspirator pleadingly, all pride washing away in favor of survival instincts. "Devo andare via! What do we do?"

Agent 56 did not miss the mech's sudden turn in attitude. 56 never wanted to recruit Mirage, but that was the task handed down by Division, and Division's orders were absolute. They would be furious when they found out what 56 allowed to happen. "We will pull you off base." The agent explained, quickly calculating the best plan of action. "There's a cargo plane leaving tomorrow at 0400 hours. You must sneak onboard. Another Division agent will meet you at the landing spot." 56 would have only twenty six hours to arrange this, but there was no other choice. "You will stay at one of Division's headquarters. They will employ you as an intelligence officer and you'll be supplied with energon and whatever else you need." This could be true, but 56 was merely fibbing in order to convince Mirage to go through this the plan. While the recipe for energon that 56 uncovered was in Division's hands, there was no way of knowing whether or not any had been produced. Division was, after all, an intelligence agency first and foremost.

Technology development was, unlike Mech, not their main objective. 56's own assassination sector was mainly used as Division's enforcers, to prevent any organization or country from gaining more power or political advantage. And, after all the agent's promises, Division could turn around and tear Mirage apart and sell the pieces for profit. Or give him to CTech. Neither fate would be in the mech's favor and 56 could face similar circumstances if the agent did not appease Division's watchers. "Also," 56 added quickly, "you will deliver something to Division headquarters, it may after all, convince them of your standing as a capable partner." And hopefully that will be enough to save 56 as well.

* * *

Sideswipe chuckled lightly, having just received images sent from Rin's data pad. The prank had been her idea. She seemed to excel in simple mischief. It didn't cause as much of an uproar as Sideswipe's more grandiose schemes, but she never got caught. Rin did not really seem like the kind of femme to engage in such antics. Usually, she would just roll her eyes and ignore him whenever Sideswipe played more on his younglingish side. But, sometimes, what Sideswipe could only assume was her old self rekindled with youthful mischief.

Sideswipe was pleased with the result of their latest endeavor. He had been the one to supply a rather convincing metal autobot symbol which Rin had attached to the coffee maker inside the mess hall. In the images, Sideswipe could see several soldiers eyeing it suspiciously, but not approaching. The best part was, Prowl couldn't blame it on him since there was no possible way for him to fit through the doors, thus why Rin targeted the coffee maker in the first place.

Simple and brilliant. Sideswipe sent a message asking her to come out. He was waiting in his alt mode, not an unusual sight at that hour.

His spark was warmed when, not a minute later, Rin stepped out, already looking in his direction. Her playful smile grew as she approached.

Before she could get a couple steps forward, though, another human came up from behind and planted a hand on her shoulder. It was one that Sideswipe recognized. He liked to hang around Rin every so often, and he always seemed a bit too close to Rin for the mech's liking.

Sideswipe turned up his audio receptors to pick up what the male was saying.

"Brook," his voice sounded overly friendly, not the formal tone most males addressed her with, "I got a few beers and some free time tonight, wanna help me with them? _Your place_?"

Sideswipe felt a hot injection of anger in his fuel lines. This human was making it apparent of just what he planned to do with this 'free time'. He rolled forward to meet the pair.

Rin, attention now on her fellow human, asked incredulously, "Again?" she shook her head, "We both know it's not my _help_ you want. No thanks, Franky." She sounded exasperated. Usually, Rin seemed to at least somewhat enjoy spending time with the male, however things had taken a turn in the past few weeks. Sideswipe never asked about it, Rin had the right to keep her friends private. So he just watched while she didn't notice.

"Aw come on, it's not like that." His tone was still sleazy, "I just wanna hang out. Though, if you're interested in other activities, I'm always game." his eyes flicked over her body appraisingly.

That was it. Sideswipe transformed, as loudly as he could, catching both humans' attention. He wheeled forward, perhaps a bit too close, since Franky took a few large steps backwards to avoid being crushed. Sideswipe's leg nearly brushed against Rin's arm but she didn't flinch. The mech's face, however concealing what he felt internally, remained upbeat. "Hey sweetspark, ready to go?"

The male shifted uncomfortably under the glare Sideswipe shot towards him, _good_.

Rin answered slowly, "Yeah… sure." Sideswipe didn't see what kind of face she was making, but her tone was guarded.

The male chuckled nervously, "Always training aren't you?"

Sideswipe smiled. "Actually we're going to hang out all night, it's a team thing." He transformed into his alt mode earning a hard recoil from the well intimidated human. He popped open his passenger side door and growled a bit too harshly, "Come on, Rin."

She stepped in but not before adding a 'see you later' to Franky. Sideswipe slammed his door harder than he intended and darted off the other side of the base.

After a few moments of silence, during which Sideswipe shifted through a myriad of emotions, Rin finally spoke, "Alright." She glared down at his steering wheel, which seemed to be the choice place for her to look while in his alt-mode. "What's going on?"

Sideswipe didn't miss a beat. "That's some friend you got there." he snarked, engine growling. "Why would you let him speak to you that way?"

Rin raised her brow questioningly, "He's just playing around." She shrugged it off, "All guys do it, it's something I'm used to."

"Who?" he growled. Who would dare address her so disrespectfully? She obviously wanted nothing to do with them.

Rin seemed to finally catch the seriousness in his voice. Her eyes widened suddenly and her lips jerked a bit, a sign of her thinking carefully. "Sideswipe, there's no need to get all defensive. If Franky ever made a problem, I'd kick his ass and you know it." She spoke in calming tones, trying to placate the rage boiling in his spark. It didn't work.

"You shouldn't have to." He argued.

"Sideswipe."

Quickly he added, "And what if he isn't joking?"

"Sideswipe."

"You can't just let him get off that easily." Sideswipe was already planning on what he was going to say to Sunny, his twin wouldn't want that organic trash messing with their human either.

"Sideswipe, slow down!"

His focused snapped back to the road. Sideswipe braked quickly to avoid hitting the tree line. In his flash of anger, he'd lost track of his speed. A quick scan showed Rin was unharmed but her heartrate had accelerated.

Sideswipe was silent, trying to gather his thoughts, but Rin, taking deep breaths to calm herself, ordered, "Open the door."

The mech didn't want to follow her command, but he also didn't want holes in his upholstery, so he opened it for her and undid her seatbelt. When she stepped out, her warmth was instantly missed.

"Sideswipe." She addressed him in a calm, authoritative tone. He transformed and kneeled down in front of her. He had a feeling he was about to be scolded. "What is going on with you?" Her words were clipped and harsh.

"You don't get the respect you deserve." He started. "Joking or not, he can't just say whatever he wants to you."

"Like you?" she stated flatly, but her eyes seared into his optics.

Sideswipe recoiled at the accusation, "I don't sound like that!"

"Really, _sweetspark_?" She spat back venomously.

He flinched. He didn't sound like that. He really respected her. There was definitely something different between him and that Franky creep, but Sideswipe knew he couldn't explain it. Not yet anyway. Maybe once Sunny came around, he'd be able to tell her. That way she could see they both were dedicated, and not just using or messing with her.

"Rin… Erin," he corrected, seeing her scowl deepen at the mention of the nickname, "I'm sorry. I just-" his processor racked. How could he possibly defend his actions in a way she would understand. His optics darted around as if looking for an answer. This was different. He was unsure. He felt insecure. _That_ wasn't right.

"Hey, Sideswipe, calm down it's ok." Rin raised her arms as her gaze melted into that of concern. Why did she look that way? Did he seem angry? No, worried? Yes, he was worried. Something was off with him and none of his self-diagnostics could identify the source.

"I… I need to find Sunny." He transformed and shot off towards his berth room where his twin would be. On the way, his brother pinged him, no doubt catching on his distress. Sideswipe responded with his proximity, telling Sunstreaker he would meet him.

* * *

With the hanger door open to let out the built up heat, Sideswipe could drive all the way to his berth room. He transformed and shoved the barrier open. On the other side, Sunny was standing, waiting expectantly for him.

"What is going on?" he questioned, concern flowing through the bond.

Sideswipe knew he couldn't tell his brother everything, but his spark called for some kind of comfort. Why did it hurt so much? "I don't know." He answered weakly, sliding the door closed behind him. Everything seemed to be moving too fast, he couldn't catch up.

"What the frag does that mean?" Sunny wasn't the best at staying level headed but he tried to sooth his twin over their shared bond. "Just relax." He stated, not sounding so calm himself.

Sideswipe, unable to find words for his worrying distress, sent a data pack, hoping his brother could decipher it.

Azure optics dimmed slightly as Sunny reviewed the information. "The squishy did this?" he quirked an optic ridge. "I don't get what's wrong." He state flatly, worry slowly vanishing, knowing his twin wasn't in danger. "What, she doesn't want that stupid-aft nickname anymore? Is that what you're so fragged up about?" Sideswipe got a sense his twin felt a prickle of awareness as to what was actually going on, he just wouldn't accept it.

"It's not the nickname." Sideswipe responded. "I'm just not sure…." He trailed off, lost for words.

"Not sure about what?" Sunny was starting to sound irritated. Sideswipe couldn't blame him, he was sounding pretty nonsensical.

"I don't know." He sighed, unable to elaborate any further.

"Gearhead." Sunny muttered. "It was probably nothing. Maybe you're just stressed or," he poked his twin's silver chassis, "glitched like I always said you were."

Sideswipe batted the servo away playfully. "Alright. Thanks Sunny."

He cocked an optic ridge, "I didn't do anything."

"You're here." Sideswipe replied, sounding more steady. In a flash of longing, he pushed his chassis up against his twin's.

Sunny instantly recognized the situation and reciprocated by wrapping an arm around his brother's silver waist and pulling his as close as possible. Their bond opened wide, allowing the quick exchange of love, passion, and lust to pass between the two warriors.

"Sunny…" Sideswipe moaned.

"Don't call me that." The response was weak. His glass-like optics glowed a darker shade of blue. He growled softly, possessively.

Sideswipe felt a content rumble in his own chassis as his Sunny leaned forward and ran his glossa over the side of Sideswipe's neck cables. The silver warrior bent back his helm to give his brother more access. While Sunny had his fun, nipping at every exposed cable, Sideswipe did his own exploration.

He'd felt this frame thousands of times, and knew it as well as his own. Every groove, cluster of sensory nerves, armor gap, he could map it all out in his processor. His servo ran up Sunny's chassis. One digit dipped into the armor seam right above his headlight, and brushed against the wires there. Sideswipe couldn't help but imagine what effect much smaller hands would create. He was rewarded with a gentle, but needy bite to his neck. Sideswipe slipped his digit behind the bundle and rubbed them lengthwise. It was one of Sunny's most sensitive spots, and if he put just enough pressure on it…

Sunny growled into his audio receptor and pushed his brother towards one of the berths. Sunny's was closest to the door, perpendicular to the wall. Sideswipe gladly fell on it, servos raised over his helm, legs spread and waiting. Sunny's optics brushed over the silver frame appreciatively.

Sunny was the kind of mech who liked to feel in control, and Sideswipe was all too happy to give it to him. There was no place safer, or more comforting, than his own brother's arms. With a spark beaming with trust, Sideswipe closed his optics as his twin climbed over him. He needed this. It would get Rin off his processor.

His cooling fans turned up as a glossa ran over his interface panel. The words that escaped his vocal processor were mixed with a lustful moan, "Not much foreplay today?" Sunny quickly shut him up as he hooked a digit around a coil in the junction of Sideswipe's hip and leg. A hard pull caused him to gasp, interface panel sliding open as he felt too much compression build up, revealing a fully pressurized spike.

Sunny ran a digit down the spike, causing Sideswipe to moan. One servo started pumping it while Sunny planted kisses and quick licks to the base. Through the bond, they exchanged deeper feelings of longing.

Practically writhing with pleasure, Sideswipe had one servo clamped to the side of the berth. The other was stroking Sunny's audio fin, another sensitive spot, and in Sideswipe's mind, one of his most attractive features. The feeling caused Sunny to purr contently, the rumbling vibrated up through Sideswipe's spike. The chain reaction led to an overload and Sideswipe shouting Sunny's name though their bond.

They hardly ever spoke out loud while interfacing, they didn't need to. The bond was far more intimate than any other form of communication. That, and they didn't want Prowl to come knocking on their door because of noise complaints.

Sideswipe felt himself relax slightly, but his charge wasn't over and Sunny, not being the most patient of mechs, was more than ready to go forward. He climbed back up to kiss and nibble at Sideswipe's chin, his servo massaging the base of his spike, silently demanding he transform it.

While some mechs, such as Sunny, had both a valve and spike, Sideswipe did not, although he sorely wished he did, considering their own preferences. Luckily, they found a way around this issue. Sideswipe sent an internal command to invert his spike.

Sunny didn't wait more than a klick to introduce one digit into the newly formed pseudo valve. The transfluid Sideswipe released during his earlier overload was spread, allowing Sunny's digit to smoothly slip in and out. Sideswipe could feel small tendrils expand out of Sunny's digit, testing the tightness. Sideswipe always enjoyed whenever Sunny stretched him out, whether it was gentle or rough and needy, he always made it pleasurable. And while they each had personal preferences for interfacing, Sideswipe being more intimate and Sunny being more need driven, they would change things up for the other's benefit.

Sideswipe was rather adaptable in style, but at that moment, Sunny could tell his twin needed something gentler and more caring. A second digit joined the first, quickly followed by a third, ensuring Sideswipe was ready for his twin.

The silver mech's excitement perked when he felt something new poking on his entrance.

:Ready?: Sunny sent through their bond.

:Wait.: Sideswipe responded, earning him a confused stare. :I want to feel your spark.:

Sunny nodded, stoic as always, and opened his chest plates. Each piece gracefully folded away to reveal a sacred shining light. His spark was the most beautiful thing Sideswipe had ever seen. It was a deep blue, far darker than the warrior's own optics. There was no mask over the spark, no hiding.

Sideswipe readily opened his own chest plates as Sunny spread his legs further. The yellow twin took his own moment to appreciate the sight of his brother's spark, before pushing, spike and spark, into Sideswipe. Instantly, they felt each other's pleasure, comfort, and love pass between them. Each side of the bond faded until it was just them, as one complete spark, filled with the ecstasy of its two frames pleasuring each other. All thoughts were collected and their individual selves became irrelevant.

In their vorns of loving each other in such a way, neither would mind where their connected processors would drift off to. Sometimes they would focus just on the two of them, other times they would stray to remember entertaining femmes, especially back in their gladiator days. Even the occasional mech, especially seekers were involved in their fantasies. However, this time was different. They felt each of their overloads coming, and right when they climaxed, a single image popped into their processors. Both mech's optics snapped open.

Without so much as a rest to cool their heated frames, Sunstreaker shoved himself off his twin, snapping both his chest plates and fluid covered interface panel closed in a swift motion.

Sideswipe laid there, in a slight post-overload daze. Realization slowly started to arrive. Sunny _saw_. He remained still, trying to judge what to say to his twin, or whether the yellow mech would beat the ever living scrap out of him.

"What the frag was that?" Sunny roared, not quite surprising Sideswipe. His servo covered his chassis, as if guarding it. He seethed, furry apparent over the bond, although everything else was locked away.

"It's not like I intended to think of her. It just kind of happened." Sideswipe shrugged, trying to play it off. In fact, that one klik thought had been extremely detailed, resulting from weeks of imagining and wishing.

"That does not 'just kind of happen'." Sunny took a threatening step forward, having obviously seen through his brother's façade. "I agreed to be on a team with her, I even respect her for her abilities, but I will not accept what your glitched processor suddenly finds _attractive_. She's a squishy for primus sake!"

Feeling defensive of his human, Sideswipe shot back, "We wouldn't have thought of her had you not felt something too."

"No!" Sunny shot back, optics turning near white against his own kin. "I want no part of this! I should beat you to Cybertron and back for making me overload to _that_." He shuttered in revulsion, the sound of his shaking frame filled the near empty room.

"It's not like I planned on it. She just sort of popped in my mind." Sideswipe tried to repeat his reasoning, he really had no intention on bringing Sunny into the fold quite yet. "But I can't say it was bad or anything." In fact, it was quite the opposite. This was something new and interesting. And Sideswipe could tell it wasn't simple curiosity. He really cared about Rin. She was a friend and a teammate.

"Don't say that again!" Sunstreaker suddenly snapped closed his side of the bond, making Sideswipe feel achingly lonely. "You are going to fix whatever is wrong with you and keep the squishy out of it!"

Sideswipe, having barley heard his twin, dreamily rubbed his chassis, wondering what it would be like to feel her soft hands run across it. "Do you think she might feel the same way?"

"Wha-" Sunny's bubbling anger finally burst over. He tackled Sideswipe, throwing hard, furious punches at him.

Sideswipe's programing was pulled in as his defensive maneuvers turned offensive. As they rolled across the floor, Sideswipe used is wheeled pedes to burn off patches of Sunny's paint. Sunny mainly struck at Sideswipe's chassis, as if trying to beat the feelings out of him.

At that hour, there would be no one else in the barracks, so they were able to fight uninterrupted, until their programing stabilized. Neither had much energy left after interfacing, so once they were both scratched and leaking from minor wounds, they broke apart.

Each mech leaned against opposite walls, cooling fans blasting, staring at each other. Sideswipe could feel his other half's sparse control.

"I don't wanna hear about this again." The yellow warrior growled. He stood shakily and inspected his armor with a grimace. Aside from the missing patches of paint and scratches, he had transfluids on his thighs and lower abdomen. He unsubspaced a cloth and tried to wipe away the mess. "I'm going to the wash racks." He muttered, mostly to himself. Sideswipe stayed on the floor, watching ad his brother stepped out. He paused and half turned, "I don't hate the squishy, but if being around her is going to make you sick in the processor, then this team will be over." Then, he left Sideswipe alone to his own thoughts and the heavy threat.

* * *

Erin huffed irritably, breathing hard and fast after her lengthy run back to base proper. The last thing she had expected was to be dumped on a far off corner of the island.

The dust kicked up by Sideswipe as he abandoned Erin caked to her sweaty skin, making an irritable itch crawl across her face and arms. Her attempts to contact either Sideswipe or Sunstreaker fell short. Not even the yellow mech would ignore her hails, though whether or not he would abide her request to pick her up was anyone's guess. Erin should have headed back to her barracks to shower off the film of filth covering her or find something otherwise productive to do with her day. After all, she had a feeling her plans to hang out with the twins were undoubtedly canceled. Sideswipe had always been the driving force behind their get-togethers, and with him acting the way he was, it was doubtful Sunstreaker would extend any kind of invitation.

Instead of remaining on a logical course, though, she headed for the autobot side of the base. Erin was not entirely sure what scared the silver mech off, but she had a feeling she was at least partially to blame. And against her better judgement, she felt guilty for whatever she had done. So, Erin intended to first check on the twenty foot idiot to make sure he was alright, then, given the opportunity, would apologize.

The young soldier had made it all the way to the autobot barracks entrance when she saw a certain yellow warrior stomping from the other end. His optics were set on the far distance as he paced faster than any human could keep up with.

Before he reached the threshold, he, what Erin could only describe as angrily, transformed; engine revving before all four wheels touched the ground. His tires screeched painfully on the concrete before gaining traction, shooting him through the open hanger door. Before he could get out far enough, though, the yellow mech seemed to have finally noticed Erin's approached, because he braked hard, spraying Erin with another layer of dust and loose pebbles.

The soldier closed her eyes and raised an arm defensively against the thin barrage. She heard the telltale signs of the mech transforming before her. A wave of heat permeated through the air as she blinked her eyes open. Mere inches away, a large yellow leg towered over her. She tried to look straight up into Sunstreaker's optics but the high sun blocked her view. Instinctively, Erin quickly stepped back, taking in more of the mech's frame.

His normally brilliant armor was scuffed and some parts even looked torched. Also, he was speckled with water spots. Battle signs aside, Sunstreaker must have left the wash racks without fully drying off. Something was definitely wrong.

The yellow warrior sneered menacingly at her, "What are you doing here?"

Erin was so taken aback by his hostility, she lost her train of thought. His optics, each consisting of a single glass-like pane, normally held less intensity than his brother's detailed optics, which displayed various moving mechanisms, showing every emotion he chose to share. However, the now glowing slits, with only a slight darkening of light to indicate 'pupils' seemed to burn through Erin with emotions she couldn't even comprehend. One, though, that she could recognize, was hatred. The scorching blue glow coming from his high up faceplates were eerily reminiscent of the deadly look he held as he tore away at Mirage three weeks prior. Only this time, all focus was on Erin.

Steadying herself, Erin stood as tall as she could under the towering giant, and spoke smoothly, "I'm looking for Sideswipe, I owe him an apology." The air around them seemed to shift. All familiarity with the 'bot had faded away. She glanced around, hoping to find any autobot nearby who could come to her aid. The last thing she wanted was to defend herself against this mech.

Sunstreaker showed no sign of caring for what she said. As soon as his brother's name was mentioned, the searing optics lightened to an off-white. "Stay away from him!" he seethed, taking a threatening step forward. "Don't talk to him." He took another step towards Erin, who scooted back in turn.

Her hand twitched towards her energon pistol. "What happe-"

Sunstreaker cut her off, "Stay away from our berth room, and the rec room! If I see you anywhere near Sideswipe outside of the training grounds, I will grind you to paste!" Erin paled at the ferocity of the threat. "We want nothing to go with a repulsive flesh-bag like you."

His wild optics darted around the ground, practically blind with rage as he paced around her, like a lion assessing its prey. "Primus damnit, you've ruined everything!" he spit at her, "You are just a filthy organic! I should have never agreed to work with you. It's disgusting."

His cold words shook Erin as unfamiliar tears stung her eyes. Her chest tightened painfully with a sense akin to mourning.

But Sunstreaker wasn't done. The disgust in his optics showed that he meant every word. "You are nothing to us, got that?" he left no room for a response, continuing his tirade, "This is all your fault."

Desperation ripping at her mind, Erin pleaded for answers, "What happened?" Her eyes were wide and fearful. "Please, Sunstreaker, just talk to me!" the composure of her voice was lost; all her confusion, shock, and fear could be heard.

The look on the yellow warrior's faceplates informed Erin that she had just made a huge mistake in speaking. She felt her pistol slide between her fingers as her thumb brushed the energy dial to full power. This was not a close combat weapon, but Erin feared it was her only way out of the situation.

A long paused was accompanied only by Sunstreaker's heavy steps around the small woman.

"You aren't worth our time." He hissed in response.

His pacing stopped as he stood behind Erin, who remained frozen in place, head down to hide her losing battle with tears. "Get out of here." He ordered.

Erin did not need any other indication, she shot towards the east end of the barracks, the shortest path to get out of the mech's line of sight. In those few yards, though, the gravely earth seemed to stretch farther before her. She felt like she was falling with no parachute, and no one to catch her. As soon as she rounded the corner, she heard Sunstreaker's quick transformation and she momentarily feared he would pursue her for something worse than verbal punishment. Instead, his roaring engine soon faded in the opposite direction.

She let out an unsteady sigh. Erin's throat felt like it had been stuck with itching cotton and her legs had the sensation of being filled with molten led. Weakly, she collapsed, back sliding against the hot metal structure behind her. She fisted her hands, scraping her roughened skin against miniscule pebbles and grit. None of this she noticed.

Erin's full attention was trained on tracking whatever she could hear. Waves from the nearby ocean crashed against each other, pushing and pulling lose sand along the shore. Jeeps traversed unpaved earth in an organized fashion, following designated paths. Large avians squawked and shrieked at each other over whatever pitiful pickings they found on a distant beach.

There was no smooth engine shooting across the training fields and no heavy footsteps clambering towards her. She could not be sure how long she sat there, head up, back straight, focused solely on finding that one sound. But her instincts were confused, crashing with startled emotions.

Various scenes played out in her mind, all trying to explain what had just happened. This was not one of Sunstreaker's moods. He was serious, he actually could have killed her without a second thought. And even worse, she was not prepared, mentally or physically, to stop him. She always had a longstanding jealousy for his strength and ferocity in particular, something she always viewed as an asset. But even when she first entered the twin's circle, and Sunstreaker actively tried to crush her, his battle trained mentality had never been aimed towards her. Whether it was because he thought she wasn't worth it, or he knew better than to act in such a way towards humans, Erin did not know. This time, however, was different. He looked at her with the same optics with which he beheld Shrapnel. To him, she was somehow a threat to his brother, and had to be destroyed, no matter the cost. That was what Erin saw in his optics. And it terrified her.

She tried to remember what happened between her and Sideswipe. He acted oddly before driving off. It may have had nothing to do with their argument. The distant look on his faceplates could have been an indication of his focus being elsewhere, likely on Sunstreaker. All Sideswipe wanted, to his credit, was for Franky to treat Erin with more respect, something she couldn't exactly argue against. Was it possible Sunstreaker was upset because she called Sideswipe out? She didn't think it was anything significant. Was the way she acted particularly insulting for a Cybertronian? She felt so confused. Erin had actually grown to like Sunstreaker's presence, and she thought he had learnt to like her in return. Perhaps she was wrong all along. Was he just pretending to get along with her?

* * *

*Umano- human

Casta d'élite- elite caste

Intelligenza- intelligence

Cosa intendi- what do you mean

Ho commesso tradimento- I commited treason

Devo andare via- I must get away


	27. Chapter 27

**Hello! I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update. I'm at a crossroads in the story and I haven't entirely decided which route to take. Please hang in there! Thank you to all the reviewers and PMers who messaged me. I promise I won't abandon the story! In fact, I have another one-shot that will come out before the end of the week so keep a look out!**

 **Thanks to the reviewers, .Princess, SolusPrimeLightblast, KEZZ 1, Jaebi, and angel9507. Also, thanks to the PMers!**

Chapter 27

"Damn robot." Erin sniffled weakly, trying to regain composure. Her face felt raw from tears. If anyone saw her in such a pitiful state, she'd probably have to kill them. There was no way she would let news of her crying like a child get loose.

It was not until after an hour of sitting against the hot metal hanger was Erin convinced that Sunstreaker wouldn't return for her. A wiser human way have run off, but she was too stubborn. Scared or not, she'd stand her ground 'till it killed her. And she was scared.

Sunstreaker had always been a name that gave the soldiers on base pause. It was a powerful name, dawned by a 'bot equally so. Sideswipe had once told her that the literal translation of his brother's name from Cybertronian would be 'he who races across the stars with the fury of a sun'. When Erin pointed out that a sun and stars are the same thing, Sideswipe had only said cryptically, "That's a matter of prospective".

Erin always held an air of caution around Sunstreaker, she did have some survival instincts after all. But she had never before feared him as much as she did in that moment.

It was as if he blamed her for everything that had gone wrong in his life. He _hated_ her. She replayed each venomous word in her head. What caused this?

"Brook?"

Erin whipped her head up to see Franky, looking far more timid than he had earlier. She narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the caution on his face. Her voice held more control than she appeared to possess, "Tell anyone about this and I'll hang your body as a prop in the cityscape."

To his credit, Franky looked unaffected by her vivid threat. "Someone's feeling dark today." He smiled lightly. "What happened?" he queried, glancing an accusing stare in the direction of the hanger entrance.

"Nothing that you should be concerned about." She quickly deflected.

Not taking the hint, the man pressed on. "If that Sideswipe guy did anything…" he trailed off. Erin assumed stating he'd report the mech to a superior would sound weaker than allowing the threat to be perceived.

Quickly, the young woman shook her head and threw herself up onto her feet. "I haven't spoken with Sideswipe recently. He had something important to deal with so we parted ways." It was only a minor lie, one which Franky shouldn't be concerned with.

"So the silver one abandoned you." he summarized, looking ticked- though Erin had a feeling any confrontation between the two would look like a chihuahua yipping at a bull. "What happened then? You can tell me, Brook." He shuttered slightly, "This has nothing to do with the yellow one, right?"

"No." Erin lied sadly. She didn't want to stir up any problems by Franky reporting the mech to Prowl. Trying to change the topic she asked, "Actually, what are _you_ doing here?"

Franky was, in short, terrified of the autobots. She couldn't blame him, they were intimidating. On the other side of base he could talk about them like they were any other soldiers, but whenever he was face to faceplates with one, mainly Ironhide, he'd shake and become nearly incoherent. Of course he did not make it so obvious, but Erin could easily tell. Which begged the question, why was he outside the autobot hanger while wearing civilian clothes? He was only holding a manila folder with no visible water markings on the exterior.

He raised said folder, casually displaying it, "Sargent Epps asked me to bring these to Captain Lennox."

"You're going to hand in a report while wearing a t-shirt and shorts?" Erin glared at him disbelievingly. "Epps asked you to do that?"

"Well," he elaborated, "Sargent Epps was watching Que and the guy's doing somethin' in the rec room. I wanted to get out of there so I offered to help deliver this." Erin could at least believe that part. Most humans were wary of anything the eager scientist touched. "Besides," he waved the contents in front of Erin, "it's just some personal letters. The Captain missed mail call."

"So you are meeting him in the autobot hanger." Erin reiterated for him.

"Yes." He said with confidence.

"You know you are probably going to walk into a few autobots on the way, right?" after a moment of not seeing it sink in, Erin outright asked, "Have you even had a conversation with one of them without shitting yourself?"

The man looked indignant at the accusation but did not deny it. "Actually, I saw you setting here and, since you're so close with them, I thought they wouldn't mind as much if you went in and…" He offered Erin the folder with an already grateful smile.

Wordlessly she ripped it from his grip, sending him a dark glare. The man really was a coward. Well, she'd at least prove herself. It didn't matter whether Sunstreaker returned, she would stand her ground. And perhaps this distraction would pull her from this dark mood she was in.

Franky offered some kind of quick thank you as Erin turned the corner for the main hanger entrance, on the opposite side of the barracks. She never saw where he ran off to after that, he probably just ran back to the human side of the base.

Focusing solely on the task at hand, Erin marched indignantly through the oversized halls. She was not going to let some pompous mech push her around. If he wanted space from her, fine, but she wouldn't hide away. Slowly, her head began to fill with overt analysis of the yellow mech. The more she thought about it, the less fear she felt.

Erin was used to Sunstreaker's moods, so this could just be one of them going haywire… again. And even if he was serious, she had enough experience with the mech to defend herself. Especially once she got her new e-blade from Que.

When she stepped through the heavy blast doors that led to the scientist's lab, she wished he was present to speak with her. Apparently her new weapon was slow coming. She had discussed designs with Que after cornering him in the human rec room one night. The mech had seemed all too eager to get started. But since then, he had announced there would be delays in production of her new blade. The soldier wanted to discuss was what the issues were, and when she could expect them to be resolved. Que had assured her that the designs were approvable for a Specialist and he had ample time to work on it. And since speaking with him, the mech had become cryptic in his responses to her hails. Unfortunately, she never seemed to be able to catch up with him. She needed energon based weapons for her job and only pistols and rifles were standard issue. All blade weapons were created for specialty combatants per order.

Besides, even if he was in his lab, there was no guarantee he would come out to speak with her. Ever since the incident with mech, no human from the enlisted ranks had been allowed inside. It only made sense. Somehow, Que's designs landed in the hands of the enemy. As to how this happened, Erin was unsure. All Cybertronian weapon designs were encrypted using their native techniques and in language that even humans who were learning Cybertronian wouldn't be able to understand. Someone would have had to study the weapon themselves, have ample time to do so, and had to subvert any security measures.

Silas would not have the opportunity to do so, it would be too suspicious for a General to disappear for any extended period of time. That left an agent hidden among the ranks. It was possible that, since the discovery of Silas's treachery, this secret agent was pulled from his mission. After all, the command staff had yet to make any announcements of the issue. Erin could only hope this meant the threat of Mech had been handled.

Erin moved on to the main hallway where the command staff were located. She hadn't asked where Captain Lennox was located, a testament to how put off she was. However, rather than ambling through the hanger in search of the man, Erin pulled out her data pad.

The display showed one new message. In native Cybertronian text, she recognized Sideswipe's name. Ironhide had been the one to encourage her to adjust the language settings. The simplest of glyphs would replace English in whatever text she read. The intuitive program helped accelerate her education in the complex language.

She quickly send a query for Lennox's location before tapping open the silver mech's message, which had been sent only a couple minutes prior. It read, "Hey, Rin, I'm sorry I drove off like that! Could you please forgive me? (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ Can we talk about something, not over txt? I'm in the 'bot barracks if you're nearby!" Erin had practically forgotten about the incident with Sideswipe, she had other things on her mind. But she paused at the invitation, remembering Sunstreaker's words, 'If I see you anywhere near Sideswipe, I will grind you to paste!'. Numbly, the soldier deleted the message. She needed to start focusing on the goals she had set for herself. She was to climb the ranks. Being on Team Prime gave her the boost she needed, but it was time to get back to reality. Befriending the mechs would only be a distraction, a dangerous one apparently.

Just as the note faded to cyber blue, a new notice appeared. Recognizing the glyph for Lennox's name, as it translated to "From the planet earth, at the approximate coordinates of 55.974 north, negative 4.206 east", she opened the message. It was short and completely in English, "Med bay". Secretly, Erin was relieved she wouldn't have to go to the barracks. She was not ready to see Sideswipe yet. The young woman was going to have to move past whatever friendship she formed with him, for her own sake. But to do that, she would need a bit more time, and some well-coordinated space.

She hurried to the tall door near the middle-end of the hall. The soldier could not hear any yelling or clanking of metal, signifying it was acceptable to enter. She crossed through the threshold, eyes adjusting to the brighter light.

Inside, Erin found Ratchet and Ironhide, only the latter of whom turned to see the soldier's approach. They were both standing over a berth, Lennox was clearly visible atop it, sitting casually off to the side. In the center, however, Erin could see curly golden hair.

"Erin." the weapons specialist greeted gruffly. He had long since retired formality between them, off the training field of course.

The woman was admittingly relieved to see the oversized mech. While he was not openly caring, she felt a sense of trust in him. Briefly, Erin considered confiding to him what happened with Sunstreaker, but she pushed the thought away. Erin needed to distance herself.

She nodded respectfully to Ironhide before turning her full attention to Lennox. "Captain Lennox," she called crisply, "I have a package from Sargent Epps." Out of the corner of her eye, Erin saw the mech tilt his head quizzically.

The Captain only paid half attention to Erin's hails, he turned his head towards her but his eyes were focused on the small girl at the center of the berth. "Right, thanks, at ease." Erin had not been saluting.

Annabelle, who had been patiently facing Ratchet turned in a flash, thick hair whipping her face. "Erwin!" she called in a happy squeal. "Did you come to pway with Iwonhide?"

The soldier cringed at her choice words. It was Captain Lennox who had told the young girl their sparring matches were games safe only for adults. After Erin quickly shot down the child's phrase of 'adult games', she settled with just 'playing'. Erin rigidly accepted the juvenile description of their rather serious battle exercises.

Annabelle's father quickly tried to calm the girl, who was about to crawl to the edge of the high berth. "Hold still for Ratchet, honey." He cooed. "He's almost done."

"Perhaps," the medic interjected, irritation dripping from his vocalizer, "this would go much faster if I didn't have you too fidgeting around me." His tone made it very apparent that, if Annabelle had not been there, he would gladly clock both of them over the head with a wrench.

The blond haired girl coughed loudly. By the way both Ironhide and Lennox snapped their necks towards her, it was apparent why the child was in to see Ratchet.

The weapons specialist looked accusingly to the medic, "I told you, it's gotten worse."

"It's a sore throat." He snapped back. "Specialist Brook," the medic addressed the soldier, "why don't you, William, and Ironhide discuss your business _outside_?"

Realizing the mech was nearing the end of his patience, the human and black mech wisely moved to step away, but not before assuring Annabelle they would be right outside.

Ratchet had other plans, "You two attend to your duties, I will deliver Annabelle to her mother once we are done here." His tone left little room for argument.

Finally, all three exited, giving Ratchet what seemed to be some much needed space. Erin never really understood how Lennox and Ironhide could obsess over one child so religiously.

"Captain." Erin called courteously, offering the folder.

"Thank you." Finally, he allowed her to complete her mission, taking the folder and flipping through the envelopes. While doing so, he conversationally asked, "So how's it going with the twins? You keeping them in line?"

Voice caught in her throat, she quickly tried to refocus her thoughts. Images of Sunstreaker's black and yellow pede crunching down on her flashed behind her eyes. Questions once again bounced around in her head. What had she done? Did he really hate her? Does Sideswipe feel the same way? Swallowing her sudden influx of panic and confusion, Erin ensured her features were schooled. "Everything is as well as it can be with them."

"Sounds about right." Lennox nodded in agreement, only half focused on the conversation. "Hey," he hooked a finger over his shoulder, "feel free to come by for some beer tonight, Sarah would love the company."

This was a rather common invitation from Lennox. Whether it was a family dinner or a late-night drink, Erin was often invited by either the man himself, his wife, or Ironhide. Erin had a feeling that Mrs. Lennox enjoyed having another girl around. It was not uncommon for Epps or the occasional other soldier to join them. Either way, she almost always abided their requests. There was a benefit to gaining the social favor of one's superior officer. At times, she even found herself enjoying the company. Ironhide had increasingly grown to be a mentor of sorts to her. He not only shared battle advice with her, but was always willing to discuss more personal issues as well, not that she pulled too far from the realm of the professional. But the occasional tip on how to better get along with the mechs on base never hurt. He was the one who explained what the loss of Arcee meant for the 'bots.

While she was not a carrier, a cybertronian capable of having a child, most femmes were. The loss of their final femme symbolized the loss of their species' future. Unless a carrier mech comes around, which apparently exists in some cases, or a femme managed to survive in hiding, there would be no hope for a natural revival of their species.

Ironhide was the one who really taught Erin how to be sympathetic with the 'bots. Perhaps, he would be the best person to approach about her problems with Sunstreaker. However, Erin had already decided to emotionally separate herself from her teammates. There was no benefit in being close with them. The yellow mech had indicated that he would still work with her on the field and that was all that she should care about.

The soldier shook her head. "Thank you for the offer, sir, but I already have other commitments for tonight." She was not in the mood, not that night. "If, you'll excuse me, sir." She saluted and waited for Lennox to dismiss her before heading back through the hallway.

For a moment, Erin thought she would be able to return to her barracks unimpeded, but the ground shaking footsteps behind informed her otherwise. "Erin." Ironhide's gruff voice pierced through the soldier's thoughts. Suppressing a sign, she turned to face the superior officer. The mech's optics darted down for a second, as if he was thinking his words over. "Is everything… alright?"

The discomfort in the weapon specialist's expression almost made Erin smile. While he was reasonably comfortable listening, he was not the best in expressing himself, or showing concern. She schooled her features to appear calmer than she was really feeling. "Everything is fine, Ironhide." She answered smoothly.

The black mech's optics narrowed suspiciously. "Have you seen Sideswipe or Sunstreaker today?"

A chill rushed through Erin's veins. As far as Erin could tell, Sunstreaker hadn't returned to the hanger since their last encounter and it was unlikely that he poured his spark out to Ironhide over the comm link. Sideswipe, on the other hand, may have run into the black mech. And if the silver twin looked anything like his brother, Ironhide would have cause for concern. Trying to ease her beating heart, Erin replied, "I saw Sideswipe this morning, and Sunstreaker a little over an hour ago." Cautiously, she added, "Why?"

"Sideswipe was in the med bay earlier, it looked like he and Sunstreaker had gotten into it, did they say anything to you?"

This was the last thing that Erin wanted to talk about at the moment, but denying the event could lead to trouble in the future. "I'm not sure what happened. I was with Sideswipe when he started acting… oddly. He drove off to his brother. When I saw Sunstreaker later, he looked like he'd gotten into a fight. I only saw him drive off, but I don't know where he went. I haven't seen either since."

"Did Sunstreaker say anything to you?"

"Nothing that made sense." She replied quickly, "He just yelled as usual before storming off. I don't think this was much more severe than their usual fits." Pausing, she realized that she could not remember Ironhide's tone, she had no clues as to what he already knew. "Did Sideswipe say anything to you?"

"No, he just wanted to know whether I'd seen you today." It was apparent that the old 'bot was reading more into this than Erin would have liked. "Sunstreaker didn't, hurt you, did he?"

It started to dawn on Erin that, whatever the twins were arguing about, had to do with her. A sudden wash of guilt flooded over her. Whatever she said to Sideswipe must have set him off, but she couldn't figure out what. Did something she say mistranslate? Sideswipe must have expressed some kind of concern to Ironhide. Perhaps the silver mech knew Sunstreaker would go after Erin. So, she hadn't been at the wrong place at the wrong time. The yellow warrior really had it out for her. This was precisely why Erin had to pull herself out of this situation. She didn't understand their culture and it was too risky to make another mistake. All Erin could do was focus on her career. Besides, even if the situation was her fault, there was no forgiving Sunstreaker's actions. He shouldn't target his rage at her over whatever misunderstanding occurred.

Before Erin could answer, Ironhide's optics flashed bright with surprise. "I have to go." He said quickly before transforming and zipping past towards the end of the hall. He took a sharp left turn, heading towards the command center.

Erin's relief to finally be alone was overwhelmed by a distinctive sense of foreboding. Something was going on. There were no alarms, no drills were being called, so the danger couldn't have been immediate. Erin pulled out her data pad and saw two alerts, both containing messages… from Sideswipe.

Out of curiosity, she checked them. The first read, "OR, I could pick you up? I really need to talk to you". The second was more noteworthy, "By the way, Sunny is upset right now, I'd give him some space to cool off." That was an understatement. So he knew Sunstreaker would go after her. Frowning, Ern dismissed the two messages and continued for exit.


	28. Chapter 28

**Hello Dear Readers! I'm sorry for that hiatus. I've been dealing with a case of writer's block. And even though its taking me a while to work on the story, I promise to stick with it until the very end.**

 **Thank you to the people who PMed me and the reviewers; .Princess, THE Ellie, TomRiddlesTwin, Katie, Anonymous, Scar;ett279. Becka3490, mary123ciel, (Guest), BITCH YHEET, KayleeChiara, Starimus Prime, KEZZ 1, Cinematronix, SolusPrimeLightblast, and The Story Teller Sentinel.**

Chapter 28

Erin's legs itched for movement. After hours of stiffness, she just wanted to go on a run or head to the training field. Because she skipped her evening jog, all of her pent up energy was about to burst. It was the middle of the night when the young specialist was thrust from her bed for questioning, along with every other soldier in the barracks. With the sun visibly high in the sky through the narrow windows, it was evident that her morning workout had been missed as well.

The interrogations did not bother Erin too much. Each question was broad, signifying that the command was just trying to blanket for information. When asked for her whereabouts the previous day, she was able to provide a precise timeline with only a couple small gaps in a verifiable location, including the time between facing Sunstreaker and being found by Franky, along with the initial walk to the autobot barracks after Sideswipe disappeared. From the look in her interviewer's eyes, the location and time did not align with what they were searching for.

Still, she was questioned in thirty minute intervals by varying members of the command staff, some of which, Erin did not recognize. Between each session, she waited in a packed room full of silent soldiers. The air of seriousness and authority scared the words out of the men, but Erin could tell that a few of them were getting impatient.

"Specialist Brook?" Captain Lennox's grim tone pulled Erin out from her internal thoughts.

Stiffly, she pulled away from the wall where she was leaning and followed Lennox's guidance as he ushered her into a hallway, away from the offices which had been converted to interrogation rooms. Instead, they entered a familiar space, one which Erin had seen a handful of times, Captain Lennox's office. It was one of the two he used, the latter being on the autobot side of the base.

Erin noticed how fluidly the Captain moved, his eyes upset but his face calm. He didn't analyze her, nor did not take a defensive stance. This could be to put her at ease and get her to lower her guard, or it could mean he didn't suspect her of anything. Deciding to use the prior tactic herself, Erin relaxed in the seat Lennox offered her.

Erin could tell that the Captain was distraught and it appeared he hadn't slept the night before. His voice was tired but none of the frustration seemed directed at her, "I'm sorry you had to deal with all that questioning," he started sounding genuinely apologetic, "we had to speak to everybody." He explained, eyes meeting hers. "Rest assured, though, I don't suspect you one bit. But I do think you can help us figure out what's happening."

Erin couldn't be sure whether this was all an act, but Lennox's words seemed genuine. Seizing the opportunity, she asked a question herself, for the first time that day, "And what exactly _is_ happening, sir?"

Lennox's eyes downcast and, for a moment, Erin feared he wouldn't answer. Ever since she woke, Erin had endured hours of questioning, but never received an answer as to what all of it was for. He answered solemnly, "We believe… Mirage has betrayed the autobots and stolen a dangerous device." Erin's eyes widened but she remained quiet, allowing the Captain to continue. "Prowl has found evidence that a human may have initiated this infiltration, likely through Mech. We have been trying to find who Mirage's contact was."

Erin sensed the question in his words. "Captain," she started, carefully choosing her words, "while I understandably know the autobots more than some soldiers, Mirage was always distant from me. I've only see his speak to humans a handful of times, mostly you."

While her tone was calm, her thoughts were frayed. Prowl had been acting suspicious around her for months! Lennox said he didn't suspect her, though. But it sounded as if the 'bots had only _just_ shared this information with him. Did he know Prowl suspected her? Did Prowl still suspect her? That would explain why Jazz acted so oddly around her, he was trying to scan her reactions. A lot could be read from a person's facial expressions alone. Emotions, ability, training… She was promoted to Team Prime so quickly, after what happened with Mech, a skilled soldier such as herself would obviously bring in unwanted attention. If she was in Prowl's place, she would suspect somewhat such as herself as well. Suddenly, Erin felt less safe than ever on base. She'd alienated Sideswipe, her most willing ally. However, Lennox seemed to trust her, so did Ironhide. She just needed to convince the rest of them that she was innocent.

Keeping her features schooled, she pressed for more details. "Are you sure Mirage is a traitor? What did he do?"

"We're certain," Lennox replied, "his comm signal is offline. A cargo plane that left yesterday evening has lost contact with us and its tracking systems are unresponsive. We believe he used this to escape."

"What if," the soldier suggested, "the plane was a diversion? He could still be on the island. It's not like we can see him."

He shook his head. "He took the power core from Wheeljack's ship, it has a unique energy signature, one that the 'bots could easily track. We'd know if he was still on the island."

"Are you certain he stole it?" she asked.

Lennox signed, obviously not wanting to believe one of the 'bots had betrayed them. "The Jackhammer had security scanners only Mirage could get past."

"Then why are you questioning humans?" With an air of caution she added, "Even if he had a Mech contact on base, he could still have an alibi." It was dangerous to suggest this, since it would put her alibi to question, but she trusted Lennox not to use that against her.

The Captain didn't seem to notice Erin's inner turmoil. He continued, "Someone had to help get Mirage through the locked passageways. Mirage would have used autobot codes to disable them, but a different virus was used, one which seemed to be developed by humans. We believe the accomplice accompanied him in with the theft. And since all soldiers are accounted for, they most likely joined the ranks after sending Mirage off."

Erin considered the likelihood that Mirage had taken codes from the human and done the infiltration alone, but she shelved the thought, for her own sake. Instead, the soldier change subjects, "What can be done with the power core?"

"In Mech's hands?" Lennox answered, "Who knows."

She tried to analyze possible plans. "If it's so easily traceable, couldn't this be to our advantage?" she suggested, "If Que could design a strong enough tracker, maybe we could find Mech's headquarters? I bet Sideswipe could create a tracking program compatible with satellites as well."

Lennox smiled briefly, "I'm glad we're on the same page." He replied. "Que has already started his work. I'm not sure about Sideswipe, I'll talk to Prime about it." He added, "And thank you, for your cooperation. You're a valuable asset to Team Prime." The Captain stood and signaled for Erin to do the same. "You're a sharp kid, keep your eyes open for anything suspicious and report anything you see immediately."

"Yes sir."

* * *

Sideswipe ducked low, gathering his bearings. Without his scanners, the mech was forced to focus on his audio receptors. If he moved based in what his optics caught, it would be too late. Normally, he would have little difficulty relying solely on a single sense. Sunny and he would bounce information between each other, doubling their range and capacity. However, his yellow twin held the bond tightly closed, as he had been doing for the past week.

The silver mech crouched behind a half-blown building. All the glass from the windows had since been ground to dust on the asphalt by heavy pedes. Instead, freshly blown masonry and flattened rods of rebar scraped against the cracked ground as Sideswipe wheeled behind his sparse cover.

Even with his brother's silence, Sideswipe could still detect his presence across the block so he decided to focus his attention elsewhere. Even in the mood he was bearing, Sunny wouldn't be aft-headed enough to _not_ alert Sideswipe during an attack.

An equal distance from both mechs, Erin signaled her position with two slow flashed of light reflected off a broken pane of glass. That meant the femme was North-North East, Sunny was North-North West, and Sideswipe was dead south.

Jazz was smart enough to avoid getting trapped between them so Sideswipe trusted that his back was safe. The saboteur would know that in that situation, where both twins had their scanners disabled, Rin would most easily detect him, eliminating the mech's element of surprise. And everybot knew better than to sneak up on Sunny, especially with the attitude he'd been displaying. That meant Sideswipe would be the first target of the match. He would have to come from the south, west, or at a very close eastern angle.

Jazz was a master of the silent kill, biding his time until the last moment. Luckily, in this particular game, the trio had already survived the first thirty minutes, leaving only five for the mech to strike. Without a weapon or a single defense, Sideswipe could only avoid the smaller 'bot. Even with the team seeming to be in turmoil at the moment, the three of them had developed a solid defense over the past few months. If they weren't the most formidable team before, they had certainly become so by then.

With a prickle of satisfaction, Sideswipe heard a distinctive double knock in the distance. In such a battle-torn former city, falling stones were not uncommon so communication by knocking, though primitive, was a reliable method when all forms of communication had been cut off. And as the 'bots had learned too late, Mech was capable of forcing them in such a situation. Sideswipe knew that Rin was warning him of movement. He responded by picking up and dropping two stones, one fell with gravity and made a light cracking noise, the second he threw down with light pressure, changing the sound. Rin was the one who taught them to speak through such methods. That was one of the way in how they had become so successful in training.

Like partners, they had become in tune with each other's styles, but beyond that, their communication was superior to the other teams on base. They shared sign language, comm systems, and code for the comm systems, as well as the simplest forms of communication, like knocking.

Communication was not the only way Rin had better prepared them. Rin had even suggested they carry some equipment outside of their subspace, in case Mech used their virus weapon again. Sideswipe also started holding some human supplies with him, aside from the stolen blanket he always had, he also carried a human medical kit and rations for his companion. Whenever, wherever, or however they meet Mech again, they would be ready. They were not going to be caught off guard again.

Sideswipe focused all his attention on where he knew Jazz had to be. Slowly, he eased away, heading towards Sunstreaker's position. If he hooked back around toward Rin, he'd be more safe between his teammates and Jazz would be discouraged from attacking.

He just needed to survive four more minutes.

Even without the excitement of battle, his spark was racing. Being found was equivalent to being offlined. It was Ironhide who designed this form of training. With their enemy knowing how to disable their every advantage, aside from size of course, the 'bots needed to learn how to survive, not just attack and defend. When Sideswipe, Sunny, and Rin were stuck in the forest after Silas's betrayal, they had been defenseless. Their weapons pierced his armor and disabled his systems. Ever since he landed on Earth, he'd always thought he was too strong for the planet, that nothing from their could hurt him. That experience had proved him wrong.

So, even though he moved with such care, raw excitement churned in his tanks. It was exhilarating, battling his own instincts to fight.

Three minutes remaining.

A faint scraping came from only a few yards away, Jazz was making his move.

Not allowing himself to be put off, the former gladiator maintained his careful pace. His larger size and weight forced him to put more care into his steps than Jazz would need. There was a chance the saboteur still had not caught his exact location. If he panicked and ran, he'd have no hope.

Two minutes.

Sideswipe could sense the gap closing between his pursuer an himself. Jazz was skilled and patient, he certainly had a plan to reach Sideswipe before the time ran out. The sound of glass cracking under light feet echoed from the second floor of a nearby building.

Rin. She had to of come to assist Sideswipe. Catching the hint, he sped his pace in the opposite direction of the sound. Rin had approached so slowly, Jazz would assume the sound had come from Sideswipe instead.

Forty seconds.

There was no grand fight, no clashing of armor and weapons, but when Sideswipe's chromometer informed him that 35 minutes had passed, Sideswipe kneeled down in exhaustion. Staying silent and still was far more difficult than fighting.

As he picked his way out of the city-scape, Sideswipe saw Sunny, already at the edge, standing a distance away from Ironhide. They'd hardly spoken ever since the incident. Just the thought of it made Sideswipe's spark burn. He wanted to follow his feelings, but not if it led to contention between him and his twin. He understood why Sunny was upset. Even Sideswipe was unsure over how to proceed. He'd even tried apologizing. It wasn't his intention to bring up Rin during such an intimate moment. However, Sunny wouldn't hear any of it and he held the bond firmly closed.

Instead, Sideswipe turned to Rin, she was quickly exiting the training field and making a line for Ironhide. Taking his chances, Sideswipe skated up to the femme. "Good job out there." He chirped conversationally.

She didn't even use the energy to glance is way, instead she breathed out in a heavy sigh, "Not now, Sideswipe."

The mech stopped dead in his tracks and his human continued forward to the weapon specialist. Ever since he left her to see Sunny all those days ago, she had barley even looked at him. The femme turned down his every invitation to hang out, refused to allow him to drive her to training, and wouldn't even speak with him off the field. What he did to her must have been overtly offensive. Rin was not the petty type, at least not the kind to pull the silent treatment for an entire week. For all he knew, he could have done some kind of human taboo the last time they spoke. But he had no way of knowing, and the his internet searches just further confused him. Everything he read about 'angry females' and 'how to get forgiveness from female' seemed contradictory.

He was blocked off on all sides and it was his own fault.

* * *

Ironhide watched as the twins and Erin approached. He felt a tinge of pride in their progress. As individuals, they were each formidable. However, their growth as a team would turn into an asset for the autobots, at least that was what he believed. The trio had come a long way, in his opinion.

Yet, something wasn't quite right.

Normally, the black mech would order them to hurry their pace and stop wasting his time. Instead, his optics scanned the mechs and femme. They were quiet. It wasn't uncommon for Erin to go through times of silence after training, as she was always mentally analyzing her performance. Sideswipe, on the other servo, always chatted with whomever would appease him. His optics were downcast as he only chanced quick glances to Sunstreaker or Erin. The yellow warrior was Ironhide's main concern. While it was commonplace for Sunstreaker to go through his destructive moods, scowling and snapping at anyone who approaches, his precarious state of mind had lasted far longer than usual.

Ever since Erin joined the twins on Team Prime, Ironhide begrudgingly watched both mech's personalities round out. Sideswipe hadn't ceased his juvenile activities, but they were certainly subdued, causing far less risk to himself and the humans on base. Sunstreaker had made the greatest change. He became a more willing participant in training and Ironhide even witnessed him talking to a human aside from his partner. As an added bonus, the human only appeared to feel mildly threatened.

Over the past few days, though, the weapons specialist had noticed a change in the way they interacted. Off the field, they hardly spoke a word to each other. During training, Sunstreaker seemed distant while Sideswipe was overly eager to plan with Erin. Ironhide had tried to be subtle in diagnosing the issue between them, but Erin only sidestepped the issue. As a result, his patience was running thin. By the name of Primus, he was not going to let them backtrack all the progress they had made.

"You did well," he announced once the trio and Jazz were assembled, turning to Jazz he added, "though you went too easy on them."

The small silver mech shrugged, a casual smile gracing the half of his faceplates not covered by a visor. "They threw plenty of false trails and guarded their flanks well. There wasn't much of an opening."

"Mech won't be as patient as you are, Jazz." He argued

Said 'bot crossed his arms and leaned forward, "You want us to go another round?"

Ironhide shook his helm, he had other things to take care of, mainly tracking down Mirage Ever since Que finished his highly calibrated photonic energon tracker, mechs had been taking shifts watching the scanners. "I think we should call it a night. Besides, don't you have monitor duty soon?" He quirked an optic ridge at the TIC.

Jazz snapped his digits in mock disappointment, "Saw right through me, didn't you, 'Hide?"

The black 'bot allowed an amused grin to slip through. "Take care." He dismissed the commanding officer as he transformed and drove off towards the autobot hanger.

Not a second later, Sunstreaker transformed and revved his engine ferociously. Ironhide watched the mech peel away, his vehicle-mode like a flash of light across the base. Sideswipe's optics followed his brother, a forlorn look morphing his faceplates. With a resigned sigh, he too abandoned his bipedal mode and followed his twin's path at a more subdued pace.

Ironhide wanted to automatically hunt the two mechs down and beat them to the ground for charging off like that. However, with everyone else gone, Ironhide could turn his attention to Erin. She was waiting for a formal dismissal, but it was apparent that her attention was elsewhere.

"Erin," he addressed the femme, "do you have a moment to spare?"

Recognition crossed the soldier's face. She knew he had taken notice to the changes around her. "Yes, Ironhide." She answered crisply, using formality as a barrier between the two of them.

He regarded her for a moment, thinking his words over. This was not his forte. Then, abandoning all tact, the mech growled, "Cut the scrap, youngling, what's going on with the twins?"

Surprise flashed over Erin's features before smoothing out slightly, but not entirely. "I do not know what you mean, Ironhide."

Careful of his worn hip joints, the mech kneeled down so he wasn't as imposing over her. "Come on, sparklet, anybot can see you've had a falling out. If you tell me about it then… maybe I can help." Ironhide did not completely believe that himself. We would rather use his cannons than his words, but Erin needed to know that this was important. "I know you've been trying to ignore the problem, but that won't make it go away."

Ironhide could visibly see the femme lower one of her internal barriers. Her shoulders relaxed slightly, and a hint of sadness creased her eyes. "I'm not ignoring it, I'm just trying to move on."

Erin was not well versed in sharing her emotions, but Ironhide had known her long enough to read what she was showing. "Look, youngling," he started with determination, "either you tell me what happened or I beat it out of one of those two cog-suckers. Your choice."

She regarded him for a moment, unafraid to hold optic contact. Eventually, she sighed and looked down. "I'm not exactly sure what happened myself. All I know was that I was talking to Sideswipe one moment, and the next he's in a panic, driving off to Sunstreaker. When I next saw Sunstreaker, well, he sought me out…" She paused, eyes searching as if she was watching the scene from afar. "He said if I tried to associate with him or Sideswipe again, he'd kill me."

Ironhide's optics softened in sympathy. He should have known this could have happened. It broke his spark that the femme seemed so broken about it, though it was well hidden, her sudden shift in attitude explained everything. Ironhide attempted to speak softly, but his tone slowly turned to that of rage. "Look sparkling, this aint your fault. Whatever that slagger's got going through his helm is not on you. And I'll beat the rust off him if he thinks it is."

Quickly, Erin shook her head and seemed to recompose herself. "No one can control him." She stated firmly. "Please, just let it go. I can still do my job, regardless of what he does."

"That's not what I'm worried about." Ironhide tried to explain. He trusted she would do everything in her power to get the job done, but he cared about more than that. "When your life depends on another mech, you gotta trust him."

"Then what would you do?" she challenged, eyes narrowing. "Through him in the brig? That will only piss him off more. Taking him off missions would be a tactical error. The only intelligent response would be to take me off the team." she added with determination, "But I won't give up like that."

"Sparkling, I don't expect you to give up. You're too stubborn." He explained, "But I won't let you be in danger from your own teammate." He stood back onto his large pedes. "I'll deal with the slagger. Go take the rest of the day off. Go for a run, it'll clear your helm." Before the femme could protest, he added, "That's an order."

He turned and headed to the autobot side of the base, not wasting a moment to hail the twins. Sideswipe responded with his location but Sunstreaker remained silent. He'd deal with those rust processored creation of scraplets. The autobots had lost enough mechs, they needed to work as a cohesive unit if they were going to survive.

The mech transformed and drove, as quickly as his front-heavy alt would allow, to the silver warrior's location.

Sideswipe was sitting in the rec room, staring down at his energon. He swirled it slowly, the thick waves barley under the edge of the cube.

He didn't take notice to Ironhide's approach, regardless of his heavy pede steps echoing through the large space. The weapons specialist slammed his fist down on the table, causing Sideswipe to jerk and his energon to slash over his servo and the dull metal surface underneath.

The former gladiator looked mildly peeved, but his processor was on other things. "Watch it 'Hide! Humans hang out here, you want them to melt their afts off when they sit here?" he gestured to the mess before him.

"Then clean it up." He growled, not even pausing a moment before switching back to his task, "Where's Sunstreaker?" he asked, acid seeping into his vocalization.

The silver mech only lagged for a moment before solemnly stating, "I wouldn't bother him right now, he's not in a listening mood." He raised the cube and gulped down the remaining energon before standing up.

Before the mech could take a step away, Ironhide clutched his shoulder under a tight grip. "I don't give a frag what mood he's in, neither of you have a place messing with Erin."

Even as the metal under Ironhide's servo screeched from the pressure, Sideswipe didn't show any sign of the pain he was feeling. Instead, he sighed and rolled his shoulder to shake off the black mech. "Look 'Hide, I know I messed up, I didn't mean to offend the femme." Then he promised, "I'll take care of it."

Ironhide huffed at the youngling's boldness, "You're not the one she has a problem with."

For the first time, Sideswipe seemed to really pay attention to the older 'bot. He paused, optics searching Ironhide's faceplates. "Wait, what do you mean?" he asked, a hint of fear in his tone.

"I mean Sunstreaker taking his slag out on her."

Sideswipe's optics widened on horror. He barely manage to whisper out, "What happened?"

Ironhide paused a moment, the look on Sideswipe's faceplates told a different story from the one he had played in his helm. "You don't know?" he questioned, some of the fury melting into surprise.

The silver mech raised his servos in exasperation, "He hasn't spoken to me for a week!" The fear was still there, not for his own sake, though.

Not through with his fit of anger, Ironhide snapped at the youngling, "Your fraggin' brother went off on the femme and threatened to slag her!"

Sideswipe seemed to become hollow at that moment. Words tumbled out of his vocal processor, but Ironhide had the feeling he wasn't registering what he was saying. "Hide, I… I didn't know. I thought she was just mad at me for… Oh Primus, I…" he added with a sudden bolt of urgency, "I have to talk to Rin."

Before Sideswipe could run off, Ironhide stepped in his path, "The two of you have done enough." He stated, "Stay here and tell me where Sunstreaker is."

"He's… By the beach. Past the first checkpoint." The youngling's optics were downcast, glancing around as if watching a different situation before him.

Ironhide knew that as soon as he left, the silver mech would go after the femme. But he couldn't force the youngling with him, not if his confrontation with Sunstreaker would go how he thought it would. So, he had no choice but to leave Sideswipe so he could hunt down his twin.

* * *

Sunstreaker paced furiously, the soft earth around being pressured down under his continuous weight. Sides had finally stopped pinging him and he could feel his silver twin recede from his part of the bond. For once, he had some peace to think by himself. If only he felt peaceful. For days, Sunstreaker's thoughts had been a tumulus mess of frustration.

The squishy had done just as he demanded, avoiding both him and Sideswipe at all turns, aside from training of course. _She would never let anything get in the way of training_ , Sunstreaker thought fondly. But his anger had not subsided.

With a bolt of realization, Sunstreaker physically shook his head, banishing those thoughts. She was the one who got them in this mess. Everything was fine before she showed up.

And why was she so cool and collected? That really pissed Sunstreaker off. All throughout training, she would keep to herself, but still look at him head on, unflinching, defiant, fearless. She knew a fleshy like her was no match for a cybertronian like him. _Although she could take on Ironhide. And Prowl. And Wheeljack. And Mirage, before he fragging turned traitor. Toughaft femme._ With a growl, Sunstreaker once again tried to fight off his own mind.

Didn't she realize he wanted nothing to do with her? She's a human and humans were disgusting. Sunstreaker committed to his mind the idea of humans' filthy, oily, frames. _Although the femme always seemed clean._ Just a meaty sack of flesh. _But she seemed well built. He could always see her muscles at work, every movement carefully calculated._ And they all look the same. _But Sunstreaker could spot the femme from anywhere in a crowd. He could always notice how her facial expressions barely let emotions slip out. He had to try so hard to read her, staring deeply whenever he thought she wouldn't notice._

Sunstreaker swung his clenched servo at the nearest object, which happened to be a very unfortunate tree. It splintered to pieces where he made contact, and a crack formed along the surviving trunk. Sunstreaker tried to hate her. He searched for every detail that would justify his anger. Instead, his last confrontation with her replayed in his processor. The look on her face as he chewed her out, threatened her. She tried to school her features, but he could see the fear in her eyes, and the way her mouth was slightly agape. Any human with descent survival instincts would fear him. It was the one sign that the species has intelligence. _Aside from the squishy, she was pretty smart._

As the memory barraged his thoughts, her face was at the foremost of his mind. A failed attempt at calmness, and fear. And something else. Anger? No. Surprise? Yes, she was shocked. The image made Sunstreaker's spark curl painfully. Of course she wouldn't expect him to have said what he did. She didn't know what had transpired. Sunstreaker's servo twitched oddly as an uncommon feeling bloomed in his core. He felt guilty.

For a second, he considered making amends, just to ease his internal turmoil. But he quickly gave up on it. Even if the squishy didn't deserve this, it was better that she keep her distance. Aware or not, her presence is a threat to his brother and himself.

Sunstreaker nodded to himself, satisfied with his own reasoning. This was the best possible path.

Just as he turned away from the beach, he could hear the distant roar of a heavy engine. Before Sunstreaker could even see the old rust bucket, he could tell how pissed he was. The yellow warrior growled in annoyance, giving half a thought to just driving off. But he didn't want Ironaft to think he was retreating. So, he stiffly stood his ground as the black truck rolled up, spraying dust and scattered bits of sand at Sunstreaker's pedes. He barely concealed his sign of contempt.

The black mech quickly transformed, pedes stomping on the ground, hard enough to shake the earth. He stood menacingly, although his helm was only at Sunstreaker's shoulders. A mere couple feet stood between the two mechs who stared challengingly into the other's optics.

Finally, Ironhide quietly growled at the younger mech, "What in the name of Primus do you think you're doing to Erin?"

Surprise, which Sunstreaker quickly tried to mask, washed over the gladiator. He thought Erin might react to his threats, but Ironhide wasn't the envoy he was expecting, especially so long after the act. But, rather than showing how put off he was, Sunstreaker resorted to an easy avenue, anger. "I don't know what the frag you're talking about." He replied.

"I know what you did to the femme!" He snapped.

Defensively, Sunstreaker shot back, "What happens on my team is not your business." Roughly, he shouldered past the black mech. "Just frag off." He muttered.

A strong black servo planted on Sunstreaker's shoulder, its strength crushing the outer armor. Ironhide's tone, though rough and furious, morphed into disappointment, "I really thought you had learned something. Anything. Was all that work for nothing?"

"What the frag are you ranting about?" Sunstreaker turned on the 'bot only to pause at the soft look in Ironhide's optics.

The mech dropped his servo from Sunstreaker and sighed, "You were doing so well. She's a good soldier. Can't you get past the package she comes in?"

Sunstreaker stood frozen. He had expected a fight. Not this. The guilt that had formed earlier welled up inside him. "I want to." The words slipped out before he even thought about them. The warrior only realized what he said after seeing the surprised expression on Ironhide's faceplates. The feeling that had settled in the pit of Sunstreaker's spark was radiating painfully. He took a step back, focus shifting away from the beach front. Numbly, he said to Ironhide, "Brig me later, if you want, but I have to go."

Without another word, he transformed and sped off. Sunstreaker didn't care to check whether he was being followed, but he heard no engine except his own.

Each passing second felt like an orn as stress and anticipation pooled his thoughts. He considered going to Sideswipe, but he quickly squashed the idea. This was his mess, he wasn't going to recruit his brother to bail him out.

The yellow mech was nearly at the barracks where the squishy lived. That would be his first place to search for her. He had no idea what he would say, or what he even wanted to convey to her. But he just wanted to get it over with. However, Sunstreaker could hear the telltale sound of Sides' engine purring nearby. He tried to send a data pack to his brother, asking that he let him handle this himself, but Sides just bounced it back. His side of the bond was closed. The silver form quickly approached as Sunstreaker banked away. He didn't want to have the conversation he was planning to have with his brother in the open like that. Sides would just have to wait.

His twin, however, had different plans. Sides suddenly accelerated, ramming squarely into Sunstreaker, knocking his alt-over and forcing the yellow mech to transform.

Sunstreaker regained his balance and paused, shocked by his brother's sudden burst of hostility. Sideswipe transformed, already stepping forward before his frame straightened out, and swung a clenched servo straight into Sunstreaker's abdominal plating. The blow left Sunstreaker dizzy as energon momentarily stalled flow within him.

Sunstreaker could feel his gladiator programing instinctively activating, but he tried to fight it off, focusing on his brother, instead of the apparent fight they were in. "What the frag, Sides'." He choked out.

Sides' optics were nearly white with rage. He swung again, but Sunstreaker managed to dodge it. He roared at his brother, "Why can't you just be happy for once in our miserable lives!"

Quickly, the silver mech transformed his wheels to pedes and planted a hard kick to Sunstreaker's knee, causing it to buckle. Before Sides could land another kick at his brother's exposed faceplates, Sunstreaker dodged forward, missing the pede and planting into the gritty earth. He continued his forward motion to propel him back onto his pedes behind Sides. In a swift movement, he wrapped his arms around his twins' back and held him under a tight grip while Sides flailed in his arms.

"Calm down, Sides! Let's just talk." The yellow warrior tried to sooth his brother, but all calming waves sent through the bond were quickly bounced back.

"Talk?" Sides laughed humorlessly, "You haven't wanted to talk for days! You just shut me out."

Sunstreaker winced at the venom in Sideswipe's voice. He had been the one who pushed his twin away, and shut out the bond so even he couldn't feel Sides' growing anger. "I know I was wrong." He tried to explain, slightly loosening his grip on Sides. "I was fragged in the helm, but I want to make it right. Just let me talk to her-"

"Talk to her!" Sides exploded from Sunstreaker's arms as he turned sharply and landed a punch straight to Sunstreaker's helm. The impact cracked painfully, causing warnings to appear on Sunstreaker's hud. Still, he fought off his programming, keeping his optics as dark blue as possible. Sides continued his tirade of attacks, both physical and verbal. "I already know you 'talked' to her last week. Why would I ever give you the chance to do that again?" He landed another hard blow on Sunstreaker's shoulder, forcing to mech back on the ground.

Finally, the yellow warrior's concentration broke. He felt deeply engrained programming taking over his conscious thought. Energon rushed to his helm as he applied battle analysis tactics, formatting dozens of attack strategies, each deadlier than the previous. Each movement around Sunstreaker was considered in the processing. Sunstreaker caught Sides' next blow, and landed his own fist squarely against the silver mech's side, causing him to stagger. Not wasting a tic, Sunstreaker landed another blow, then another. He beat back his brother until they were both on their pedes again, attacking and dodging in near unison. Pure instinct governed their movements, forcing them to fight harder.

Just as the programming was about to completely take over, Sunstreaker caught a small glimmer of movement near his pedes, something that did not belong to Sides. "Stop!" he heard a scream pierce his concentration. Both he and Sides met optics for a moment, their vision clearing just enough. In tandem, they looked down at the squishy, who stood inches from both of their pedes. Her arms were raised in a white-flag gesture. With his battle programming still activated, Sunstreaker's highly tuned scanners picked up all her vitals, including her quick heartbeat which screamed of fear, and her quick eye movements, scanning for any dangerous movement.

Sides was the first to react. "Rin! What are you doing? We could've crushed you!" He stepped back, giving the femme some much needed space.

The squishy lowered her arms. "Well you weren't listening to me, it was either this or shoot your afts." She panted, eyes wide as she glanced between the brothers.

All sign of battle readiness left Sides. His shoulders slumped. "You were watching?"

The squishy looked exasperated. "You didn't hear me screaming at you guys?"

Sides dropped to his knees as his pedes simultaneously transformed back into wheels. "I'm so sorry, Rin. I didn't want you to see or hear that."

The femme hissed back, "Hear what? I couldn't understand a word you said."

Sunstreaker realized for the first time that he had been speaking Cybertronian the entire time, in the Kaonian dialect. One which Erin wouldn't know, even after her lessons from Ironhide.

They were speaking decepticon. The thought of that crushed Sunstreaker's spark. What the frag was he doing? He fought his brother and alienated his partner.

With desperate optics, Sunstreaker looked to his brother. "Sides," he pleaded, "I want to make this right. But you've gotta give me a chance."

For the first time, Sides seemed to understand what his brother ways saying. His optics rounded with surprise, and a glimmer of hope. He glanced down at the squishy for a second before returning his gaze to Sunstreaker.

The yellow mech could recognize the expectant look on his brother's faceplates. He wanted to hear the apology. For the first time in days, Sunstreaker was able to connect to Sides through the bond. :I'm sorry Sides.: he started, :I shouldn't have taken all this out on you, or her.:

Aside from their injuries, all signs of the fight vanished from the pair. Sides shot back to his twin, :You know I'll always love you bro,: he answered genuinely, :and I'm not the one you need to apologize to.:

Sunstreaker nodded in understanding and appreciation. Only a second ago his brother was trying to tear him apart. Yet, he had such a capacity for forgiveness. One Sunstreaker did not deserve. :I love you too. But I need to do this alone.: he sent a pleading feeling, along with pent up guilt over the bond, hoping Sides would understand.

The silver mech looked apprehensive, but nodded anyway. He stood straight and started to wheel back. Sunstreaker knew he wouldn't go too far, but at least he had some space.

The yellow warrior could see a flash of fear across the squishy's face as Sides retreated, leaving her with Sunstreaker. The sight of it made him wince. He had been the one to do this to her, and even as he tried to justify his actions, everything he had done felt wrong to him in that moment. Sunstreaker kneeled down to be closer to the femme. He tried to ignore the feeling of the earth particulates in his joints or fading the shine of his armor.

Her face went stone cold as her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Look," she started, hand flinching towards her pistol, "I only got involved because you're next to human quarters," she gestured to the barracks where the walls were coated in a layer of dusk, kicked up by the fight, "you leave me alone and I do the same for you, that was the deal, right?" she snapped at him, traces of fear being replaced with a glare of defiance.

Sunstreaker couldn't help but feel somewhat impressed by the femme's burst of boldness, he only wished it was directed at a true enemy, not her perceived one. He vented inwardly and cycled the air out slowly, trying to gather his thoughts. "Squishy," he started, automatically kicking himself for the nickname, it was not the right time to sound demeaning. But, he persevered onward, "What I did and said last week had nothing to do with you." he lied quickly. Over the bong, Sunstreaker could feel Sides inwardly screaming at him, but he pushed it aside. Making things right was not the same as telling the truth. "I was fragged in the helm and took it out on you." He met her eyes with pleading optics, trying to see just a glimmer of forgiveness in the grey-blue orbs. Rambling, he continued, "I was frustrated and let my fragging mouth run off. I'm sorry I let it go this far, I was wrong, and too proud to do anything about it." He shuttered his optics, unable to maintain optic contact any longer, "I'm sorry."

There was a long pause of silence, during which Sunstreaker did not dare to online his optics. After what seemed like stellar cycle, he heard the femme sigh. "I don't understand what led to this." Sunstreaker finally glanced at the squishy. Both her eyes and voice softened.

A cool wave of relief flooded through Sunstreaker. It was not forgiveness, but there was hope. "I was an aft and I took it out on you, that's all."

She looked down to her feet, the first sign that she was letting her guard down around him. Sunstreaker could sense that she was not going to accept his apology that easily. Instead, steeling his determination, he asked, "Let me make it up to you. I want to prove that I have nothing against you." He added quietly, "I don't want you to be afraid of me, and I know you don't trust me, but I want to try to change your mind."

She looked back up to him, eyes searching for something. Sunstreaker didn't dare look away. After a long moment, she sighed. "Let me think about. Okay?"

Sunstreaker nodded while his spark ached painfully. "Take as much time as you need."


	29. Chapter 29

**Hello Dear Readers! I'm sorry for another long wait. For a few weeks I was only able to get out a few words a day when I suddenly had a burst of inspiration. This is my longest chapter yet and I hope you enjoy it.**

 **Thank you so much to all my wonderful reviewers out there; THE Ellie, SkyehaMarisa, The story Teller Sentinel, KEZZ 1, Quickening, SoulousPrimeLightblast, guadadominguez4, Tom RiddlesRwin, Cinematronix, (Guestx6), Kitkaboo, KayleeChiara, WendyLeaf, Dina Sana, mary123ciel, CamaroLady, and .Princess. I love you all!**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter 29

Mirage tried not to show his discomfort. Ever since he left Diego Garcia, regret had been at the forefront of his every thought. He wanted the war to end and, more than anything, he wanted to escape this disgusting planet. It was only the promise of ending the war that led him to betray his comrades. N.E.S.T would have the decepticons completely destroyed and the humans would take any remaining technology their enemy possessed. If Cybertronians were going to rebuild their civilization peacefully, they needed as many resources as possible. Since Division wanted this same peace, they would share the resources they obtain, it only made sense. Even more, they didn't want to offline all decepticons, just defeat them so the war can be over. It was the best possible outcome.

However, that did not stop the mech's inklings of fear. The autobots had more resources, between an organized team headed by a Prime and the human military. He had to guarantee that the humans of Division could offer what he needed to survive and fight. It was Ratchet who monitored the creation of energon and repaired all autobots. Que built the weapons they needed. The leadership formed combat strategies. And the others fought so there was always backup. Protection. He couldn't depend on these humans. Perhaps he could convince them his role should be limited to advisory. That way he wouldn't have to participate in any battles, ones that would certainly occur if the decepticons were to be defeated. That is, if they accepted him.

56 had seemed unsure when they last spoke. The Jackhammer's power core was meant to be an offering. It was shameful, having to stoop so low to appease an inferior race. But after betraying the autobots, his only other alternative were the decepticons. And on this planet, they were at the disadvantage.

Mirage was following a convoy of unimpressive SUVs which had been waiting from the moment the plane he was hiding on landed. The six hour drive bothered Mirage. At least 56 showed some semblance of the respect he deserved. Here, the only greeting was a quick, "Follow us." Before he was led on. He wasn't told how long the trip would be and they did not even warn him of the terribly dirty tack he'd have to follow. And the mech doubted Division had acceptable wash racks. This must have been his lowest point.

* * *

A terrible electric laughter bounced off the walls around Starscream. He didn't know whether to cringe with discomfort, or feel mildly impressed by Shockwave's gruesome accomplishment. Of course he would never admit that to the scientist. The mech was cocky enough as it was, though be it hidden behind his expressionless faceplates and monotone vocalization pattern.

He inspected the contents of the containment pod, tightly sealed, though the chattering of the subject could clearly be heard.

 _"_ _I move all funny… Ha ha! Wait, what is that? Oh! Is that me? Oh ho! Weird."_

Skyquake appeared nothing like his old self, neither in demeanor, nor physical appearance. Whatever Shockwave had done to him, cause the mech to lose most of his bulk… and his mind. It was a tragic loss of a powerful decepticon warrior, but the result was most intriguing.

The mad mech laid in the cramped pod, his frame phasing in and out of existence. All the while the wide smile on his faceplates, as he rambled nonsensically, didn't waver.

"So," Starscream addressed the party responsible, "just what did you do to poor, _formerly stoic_ , Skyquake?" he asked in mock shame.

Shockwave's reverberating voice echoed through the pitiful buried ship they called a base, "The stabilization system seems to have reacted with the spark shock he was experiencing. Somehow, this phasing effect was the result."

The seeker huffed at the half answer, "And exactly how is this possible?"

"Unclear."

"And what use to be is a soldier who can't stay solid?" Starscream screeched, "I lost two good decepticons to your little experiment!" It was one thing to lose the brute Skyquake, but his brother Dreadwing would have made a loyal and efficiently intelligent Second In Command. When they volunteered for the Decepticons, Shockwave decided to experiment on them, since they were split-spark, and Megatron had allowed it. He wanted to explore what made up their connection. Dreadwing ended up off lining in the process and Shockwave managed to save Skyquake through experiments that were meant to stabilize his spark, before he followed his twin to the Well. It was either the result of the loss of his other half, or the experiments, that made the mech go insane.

Shockwave continued as if his commander's outburst had never occurred, "My next goal is to fully stabilize his form so that he can use this warping ability."

 _"_ _Warp! I… I warp!"_

Starscream heaved a heavy sigh at the pitiful sounds of the mech, "And what use is he in this state?"

"The degradation of his processor has brought him to a more primal state, like a berserker." Shockwave supplied somewhat helpfully, "He should still be able to follow orders."

"We'll see." Starscream turned to the experimental subject, "Skyquake, do you remember me?" he questioned with all the authority he could muster.

 _"_ _Skyquake? No… no. Me warp! Skywarp!"_

"Very well, Skywarp," the seeker grumbled, deciding to appeal to the mech, "who is your master?"

 _"_ _Who is my master?"_ he echoed back.

Easy to anger, Starscream smashed his fist on the pod and seethed to the mech inside, "Sear my words in your very spark, I, Lord Starscream, Emperor of Destruction, am your supreme ruler."

 _"_ _Yeah, you look like a Screamer!"_ Skywarp chirped casually.

"Who is your master?" he screeched indignantly.

 _"_ _Lord Starscream!"_

That would have to be enough to satisfy him, for the moment. "Very well. Now, you have fun in your little pod while the good scientist and I talk." He turned back to his chief, and only, scientist. "I have been in contact with Mech, once again. They propose an official alliance." Admiring the sharpness of his digits, he added, "I'm not surprised, after all, _I_ was the one who taught them how to dispatch an autobot."

Not paying attention to Starscream's jest, Shockwave questioned, "Where is the logic in working with humans?"

Dropping his servo in frustration, the decepticon stated, "The autobots have more surveillance resources, and more firepower, for the moment. We can't collect the resources we need without being hunted down like cyber foxes, unless we acquire outside assistance."

There was a long pause as the one optic'd mech thought over the information. Then, he leaned down and reported, "Your reasoning is logical, but it is logical to assume they would be working against us."

"That's why Hardshell is currently scoping the nuclear plant they informed me of. If it's a trap, he'll be sure to punish them. If it's not, we won't be at risk." He stated with a devious smile, "Their leader informed me the plant would be open to attack in seven human days. And I know just what to test at this facility."

* * *

Erin could hear laughter, distant and happy. It sounded like children were playing. She felt grass poke against her back, making her skin itch. Sitting up, the soldier could feel the warmth of sunlight on her face. Caught in the distant laughter was a call, Erin had to strain to hear it. "Sis! Sis!" Her eyes shot open, bright light shining around her. Only inches away, a smiling face continued its call, "Sis, come on, let's play a game."

"Cora?" Erin started at the sound of her high pitch voice, still years from puberty.

Cora did not seem to take notice. "Come on sleepy head," she giggled while helping Erin to her feet, "let's go find the others, we can come up with a game to play!"

Cora pulled Erin by her sleeve toward a small hill where the other kids were running around. Erin struggled to keep up, not quite able to keep her balance. "Wait!" she shouted right as her foot slipped.

Before she could hit the ground, Cora turned on her heels and caught her twin under the armpits, quickly hauling her back up. "Sorry." She chirped.

An annoyed sigh caught Erin's attention. In tandem, the twin sisters glanced over to the source. A group of big kids, staring down the children who had apparently invaded their hang out space.

Erin felt a sense of apprehension. They were so much bigger than she was.

Cora, dropped her arms from her sister's sides and straightened up. She glared menacingly at the three who had, apparently, offended her in some way. She crossed her arms in a gesture that made her appear five times her size, at least in Erin's eyes.

The teenagers blanched at the malice she sent them and scurried off, making Erin giggle.

Cora muttered under her breath, "Nosy fraggers. Those pit-spawn ought to mind their own fraggin' business."

Erin smiled at her brave sister, "You know what, Cora?"

"What?" she asked curiously.

"You remind me of someone!" Erin announced, proud of her little discovery.

Cora cocked a brow, smiling nonetheless, "Shouldn't it be the other way around? You knew me first, right?"

"Oh, right." Erin giggled good-naturedly.

"Where are they anyway?" Cora asked, looking around the sky.

"Who?" Erin replied.

"Your friends, of course." She stated plainly

"My friends?" Cora was the only friend she needed.

"Sunstreaker and Sideswipe." Her sister reminded her.

"Oh, right." She'd forgotten about them, "I don't know, I guess they're already at the playground."

"Well, let's not keep them waiting." She turned to the way they had been originally heading when Erin noticed a scarlet drop fall to the ground.

Alarmed, Erin grabbed her twin's wrist, "Cora, did you hit your head?"

"What," she felt her forehead, where the drop of blood was sourced. She checked her fingers to see the small scarlet patch. "I guess I did." She added to her sister, "Does it look bad?"

Erin looked closely, another dropped flowed out, followed by a small stream. It came from a large hole in her skull. "Cora!" she shouted, lost for all other words.

"Oh, right." Cora said in realization, "I'm dead."

"No!" Erin shook her head. "We have at least eight more years together!" Hot tears started to run down her face. "It's too soon!" she sobbed.

Cora placed a gentle hand on Erin's shoulder. With no heartbeat, blood could no longer be pooled through the wound in her head, leaving an open bloodied hole. "It's too late, sis."

Erin's eyes shot open as she flung herself from the bed, landing awkwardly on her side. The only light in the room was the red glow from her alarm clock and the moonlight that filtered through the blinds of her window. She quickly fought off the memories of the dream as she steadied her breathing.

As a chill hit her, Erin forced herself back into her bed and wrapped a sheet around her shoulders. She could not will herself back to sleep. The waking thoughts that greeted her were no more kind, though.

Cora's words rang in her head again, "Your friends… Sunstreaker and Sideswipe." Erin had dreams of Cora, but those two had never invaded them before.

Ever since Sunstreaker had offered his apologies, the soldier had been stuck on how to proceed. At least when he hated her, things were simple. Even Sideswipe had learned to follow suit.

It hadn't even been her intention to get caught between them in their fight. She was returning from her Ironhide-sanctioned run when she saw them tearing into each other. It was a horrifying sight.

Over the past year, she had seen them spar many times, and had often been in the thick of it, but she rarely witnessed them go as savage as they had become. Worst still, it seemed Sideswipe was farther gone than his volatile brother. His optics were an eerie white and filled with unrestrained anger. It wasn't the same protective response Sunstreaker used when his gladiator programming activated, as Erin had witnessed whenever Sideswipe was seriously injured. This had a feel of vengeance to it. Erin did not know what had started the fight, though she would assume some theories afterwards, her mind went blank as she jumped into action to break them apart.

She didn't have a set plan, instead various scenarios ran through her mind in a flash. Call to them, shoot them, run between them. Each situation was dangerous. There was a wide perimeter of danger as they tossed each other around. Her verbal hails were unheard as the clash of metal drowned her out. Their pedes stomped the earth, making the ground shake under her feet. And their shouting was in an odd form of cybertronian. It wasn't the smooth mechanical Tarnian that Ironhide had been teaching her. It was both guttural and sharp. Shooting them for attention was a hazardous option. For the moment, Sunstreaker seemed to be somewhat under control, but a paintball to the armor might have set him off. And something stronger could have created an unpredictable reaction. Getting in the middle of their fight was suicidal, but once her other options were weeded out, she stopped thinking and just acted.

Careful to dodge their pedes and trying to predict their next movements, Erin skidded between Sideswipe's legs and shouted to catch their attention. To her luck, their reactions were instant. They froze, fists still poised for a strike. What she hadn't expected, was Sunstreaker's next action. It wasn't until Sideswipe wheeled away that Erin realized how foolish her actions were. But she stood her ground. And Sunstreaker apologized.

It was so unexpected, she thought she'd fall on her ass in surprise, but she didn't want to seem fazed.

The gambit of emotions to follow were nearly unprecedented for Erin. She was weary, first and foremost. But there was also surprise, anticipation, relief, and even some sense of joy. She shouldn't care, but she did anyway. Still, that wouldn't decide how she would respond. The soldier had bought some time, but Sunstreaker would be expecting a reply.

It was certainly simpler when they left each other alone. And since he didn't seem to hate her anymore, there wouldn't be that same sense of danger. Simple was good. She was up for review to become a corporal- even though it was soon; as usual her experience and recommendations waved certain requirements- and fewer distractions would be helpful. But she couldn't help but reminisce on their times together, off field. Being beaten at video games by both mechs, explaining movies to Sideswipe and then doing a prank inspired by said movie, and talking about art with Sunstreaker. Those were all things she looked forward to.

Erin pulled out her data pad and opened her sketch pad. She hadn't drawn anything in the past week. Mindlessly, she ran her fingers over the surface, creating an outline. She changed the color to yellow and filled it in, then a hint of orange, some shadows, and finally, a sky blue. Lost in her work, she drew until her alarm went off, then kept drawing after shutting the offending device off.

After she was finished, she stared at the picture. It made her feel happy. Sunstreaker would probably hate it. An image of him, not nearly as handsome as the real thing, or at least as he would claim, with slightly upturned lip plates, and surrounded by a swath of sunflowers. It was so cute, he'd probably burn the data pad. But Erin smiled. Maybe there was something to art after all.

Erin glanced at the time on her data pad. She missed breakfast, but could still be on time to training. It was just humans today, no autobots. She looked forward to the hand on hand combat, needing to let out some pent up energy. Maybe she would sleep better afterwards.

Quickly, Erin got dressed and made a quick pit stop to the bathroom before heading out of the barracks and jogging to the training grounds.

The training was nothing out of the ordinary. They reviewed standard drills and pushed their physical abilities, some more than others. Erin found that she needed the workout. It was a good way to get her mind off things.

After she was dismissed, she showered and headed to the mess hall for lunch, feeling starved. No one could maintain that much physical activity on an empty stomach for long. The walk to the mess hall was far lonelier than Erin had ever recalled. Ever since her falling out with the twins, she had refused to be chauffeured, avidly avoiding Sideswipe. That afternoon, however, the young woman found herself looking around for him, knowing he had already given up. At times, though, she would still catch him sneaking about. He was, of course, a terrible spy and she usually noticed his alt hiding behind a building, the sun casting his shadow past the corner. It only took a few weeks on base before she grew accustomed to him following her. This time, however, there was no sign of him.

When she arrived at the mess hall, it was later than usual. Most of the men were already filtering out. At least there would be no line. She went straight for a cold turkey sandwich and some tossed salad. She passed by the decepticon insignia on the coffee machine. It had since been given a paper mustache and Santa hat by various soldiers.

A quick glance around showed Erin that Adam and Franky were still eating. The later seemed to be engaged in a monologue while Adam listened from across the table, as usual.

Wordlessly, Erin approached and took a seat next to Franky. Whatever rant the man had been on abruptly stopped as he turned to the woman. "Brook!" he bellowed in a deep voice, "How's it going, girl?"

"Fine." She answered out of social politeness, "And you?" she directed the question at both men, noting that their trays were practically empty, aside from a few scraps. They both liked to linger after a meal.

"Same, no better, no worse." Franky practically sang in his usual jovial and confident manner. He leaned forward so that only Adam and Erin could hear, "So, what's the latest news?" he whispered.

Erin leaned back, staring at him critically. "Of what?" she asked.

"You know," he prompted, "Miss Team Prime must know something about what's going on with Mirage bailing and all." He added, "So, did he turn tail and run, or join the 'cons?"

"I don't know, that's out of my security clearance." She muttered.

"You know, Brook,," he sharply turned the conversation, "you look different today." He leaned in, scrutinizing her face. Erin willed herself not to shiver as his gaze stroked down her skin. It wasn't a good feeling, nor a bad one, just a feeling. "You make up with the yellow demon?"

It took Erin less than a blink to realize whom he was referring to. Yet, she played dumb, after all, she had never told the guys what was going on between her and the twins to begin with, "What are you talking about?" she questioned.

"You seem… brighter today."

Her eyes narrowed. "And how does this compare to any other time?"

"Ever since you and the twins got into whatever it was, you've been miserable, don't deny it." He added, "You've been stalking around, shooting death glares at anyone who comes close. _And_ the silver one hasn't been toting you around base. Now, you actually seem… approachable."

"Fine, I had a falling out with _Sunstreaker_ , but he apologized last night." She added emphasis to his name, something Franky never seemed to use.

"He _apologized_! I thought that bot could only be angry and pissed, Jesus! Well, that explains why you look _tired_." Erin needed a moment to process what he was insinuating. Apparently, Franky could depict the realization dawning on her face, as his own grin grew. He added cheekily, "Don't tell me there's nothing going on there, Brook!"

Adam stared intently at Erin, seeming fully invested in this valuable gossip.

"You know what Franky? Fuck you and your sick imagination." Erin muttered, visibly disgusted. She kept her expression otherwise neutral, trying not to react as strongly. She stood, ignoring the rest of her mostly untouched meal, she wasn't hungry anymore. Instead, waving off to the two men, "I'll see you guys when you grow up." she dismissed herself, wasting her meal as it fell into the garbage before she quickly retreated out of the mess hall.

Her anxiety rose, leading her to head towards the tree line where she could freely jog. What Franky hadn't known was that he had voiced something very similar to her own suspicions. She wasn't sure what had led Sunstreaker to verbally attack her the way he did, but she couldn't believe that she was targeted at random. It was personal, between her, him, and Sideswipe. Of course the suspicion had occurred before, when she wondered why Sideswipe drove off before her fateful encounter with his twin. He had been talking about the way Franky was flirting with her. At the time, it was easier for Erin to believe that his reaction was out of friendship, rather than jealousy. The same reasoning was given to the mech's own attitude towards her, the nickname, casually inserted innuendos, and even occasionally being called 'sweetspark'. She had seen Sunstreaker's face whenever Sideswipe acted too familiar with her, she knew he disapproved.

That would explain his wanting her to stay away from Sideswipe. He was trying to protect his brother. But the gravity of his words were greater than that. Erin hadn't fully considered this, until she realized her closeness with the twins was observable by others, like Franky. Even if he was only joking, Erin knew there was some level of truth to it. What if Sideswipe really did have intimate feelings for her? The more Erin thought about it, the less improbable it seemed.

But what about Sunstreaker? If he knew about Sideswipe's feelings, and that was why he had the outburst, why would he apologize later. Unless…

Erin's eyes widened as she stopped to lean against a short tree for balance. It was almost incomprehensible, the thought. But it would clearly explain both mech's behaviors. Could Sunstreaker really have feelings for her? After all, she knew they shared _everything_.

Sideswipe was difficult enough, she hadn't even begun to consider what she would do about him, should her suspicions be confirmed. Normally, she would turn a guy away or ignore him until he got the hint. But both of these seemed wrong when it came to Sideswipe. Sunstreaker was another monster entirely.

Of course, she could just be over analyzing things. Sunstreaker was more likely to marry his own reflection than think anything positive about a human. But, she still needed to find out for herself. So, she turned on her heels and started the run to the other side of the base, unsure whether she should message the twins, or arrive unannounced. At that point, her mind was practically mush.

* * *

Sunstreaker sat at the edge of his berth, one leg bouncing nervously. He hadn't left that spot since waking. He tried to apply wax, but lost interest part way through, rubbing it off with a clay bar to try and minimize the uneven sheen that had formed. He wasn't interested in refueling either. Sides had quietly offered to get him some energon, but Sunstreaker only shook his helm in response. The brothers had hardly spoken since their last encounter with the squishy, although they returned to their berthing together.

In the silence of the evening, each mech cleaned his own armor, not daring to look at the other. Sunstreaker didn't sense the same hostility that had led his brother to attack him, instead there was just an undying sense of exhaustion. The two of them spent a recharge-less night in silence. The only sign that each was still online was the blinking lights as they occasionally shuttered their optics. Sunstreaker distracted himself by focusing on the aching in his healing wounds. None of them were too serious. The worst was the one where Sides had managed to jam his digits under Sunstreaker's shoulder plating and pierced it from underneath. It was painfully noticeable. But the yellow gladiator didn't have the energy to feel angry.

Ever since he convinced himself to sit up on the berth, once Sides turned on the lights, his mind wondered to more worrisome thoughts. _What was she thinking? Should he seek her out or leave her be? Why was he so panicked about this? Would he ever be able to fix things?_

It was agonizing, but he didn't have the spark to do anything else.

He started at the sound of the door being wretched open. The mech turned his helm just enough to see Sides step through, his optics staring down. Following his line of sight, Sunstreaker saw a small form walking in front of his brother. The mech bolted up to his pedes and turned to see the squishy standing a few feet from the threshold.

He glanced to Sides, who stared accusingly at Sunstreaker. "She was waiting outside." He said, mistrust dripping from his vocalizer. Sunstreaker wanted to snap at his brother, but he refrained, barely. It seemed that the squishy wasn't the only one he needed to work things out with.

Speaking of her, Sides sidestepped the human and walked past Sunstreaker to his own berth where he stiffly flopped down and instantly started tapping away at his data pad. The yellow mech guessed that was as much privacy as he was going to get.

Bracing himself, Sunstreaker turned back to the femme, choosing not to hide as much of his concern. Things would never be fixed if he acted cold towards her. Her face mirrored the disappointed gaze that 'Hide had given him the day before. Sunstreaker felt his defenses rise instinctively, although he told himself anything but anger was a good sign.

Not daring to speak, he waited for her to say something.

After a long pause, during which she seemed to search his faceplates for something, she looked down and asked, "What happened?"

Sunstreaker knew he couldn't tell the whole truth, but if he were to win her trust back, he'd at least have to be genuine. "There's no excuse," he started, searching for words, "for the way I treated you. But," he added quickly, "I want you to know that it wasn't your fault. I'm really sorry. And- and I'll make it up to you, if you'll let me."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" she asked seriously.

Primus. Sunstreaker froze. Was there something he was _supposed_ to do? He didn't take the time to look up the human customs for this sort of thing. Was there a special way that they apologized? He half considered quickly searching for a solution, but he knew the squishy would catch him. Rather than risk offending her, he practically sputtered, "Anything you want!" Sunstreaker internally cringed at his own vocalizations. Across the bond, he could feel some of Sides' own amusement. At least he was opening up to him.

His answer seemed to satisfy the femme, she cocked her head to the side and almost quirked her lips to a grin. "Alright," she said with authority, "then prove you have nothing against me. We are going to hang out, without Sideswipe's help." She turned and headed out the still-open door. Before disappearing past the corner she added, "Pick me up at eighteen hundred hours." Then, she was gone.

Sunstreaker stared at the space she once occupied, slack-jawed. It wasn't until after several moments when Sides finally broke the silence, "Did she just ask you out on a date?"

* * *

Sunstreaker had no idea what he was doing. Ever since the squishy had left he'd been moving on autopilot. Sides may have said a few things to him, but he only remembered some of it. All he knew was that it was late afternoon and he was parked outside the femme's barracks. The sun was starting its descent from the sky and his chromometer said he was very early, giving him plenty of time to wonder what the frag he was doing and why he was so nervous.

He shifted uncomfortably at the feeling of the warm, organic fuel in his glovebox. He'd rather put it in his subspace, so it could be out of his mind, but two cardinal rules for subspacing were to not introduce oxygen or organic matter. It was Sides who had noted that the femme had set their meeting time for before her evening refueling and it would likely last after the mess hall closed. Perhaps that was a part of whatever test she seemed to be putting him through. Normally, the mech would be indignant at the thought of jumping through hoops for a squishy, but a small part of his processor told him that she was worth it. He ignored that part and decided just to numbly go through whatever he had to without overthinking it.

Thus, he had driven off to the human fuel preparation area and caught a _cook_ outside. The human had no clue what was going on until he was already cornered by the most feared mech on base. If Sunstreaker knew anything, it was that fear worked. He growled at the unsuspecting man, "The squishy needs fuel, you have one hour. And it better be more than that pathetic slop I've seen her consume. Make it good." The fleshy nodded and darted inside, not bothering to ask who the mech was referring to. He probably knew; there were only a few humans on base brave enough to associate with the gladiator.

As he waited for the femme, every possible scenario played through his processor. Perhaps she didn't want to see him after all, or maybe this whole meeting thing was a joke? The thought make Sunstreaker's spark burn.

At least he had some privacy. No human who saw his alt dared to step within a squishing radius. The only thing the mech had to worry about was the dust picked up by the wind. Sides had told him to clean up before seeing the squishy. Of course, Sunstreaker was pissed at the implication that he wasn't pristine as always, but he relented to go to the wash racks and put extra work into his frame. He also took the liberty to bang out some of the more minor dents in his frame. He left the larger ones to their devices; as much as he abhorred the idea of how he'd look with a single imperfection, he knew that messing with dents could create longer lasting, worse results. Unless it was Ratchet doing the work, of course. After all the effort he put in to this particular evening, he would curse Primus himself to the pit if the dust so much as clung to his undercarriage.

After what seemed like an eternity, a small shape emerged from the single door leading to the barracks. Although she looked different, Sunstreaker could instantly recognize her. His spark spasmed in its casing when his optical sensors brushed over her altered form. She wasn't wearing the standard uniform she enjoyed, nor her more casual workout clothes which she dawned during personal runs or especially intense self-enforced exercises. Sunstreaker would have never guessed she had such clothing. Grey pants that faded to a lighter shade around her knees complimented a white shirt that dipped low on her chest and adorned those small round fasteners which Sunstreaker could not remember the name of. Her shoulders were covered with a black jacket-like thing that only went halfway down her back. Though he could have said a few things about how monochromatic she was, he secretly admitted to himself that everything fit her very well. Besides, she had never been the 'colorful' type. Perhaps with some nudges in the right direction, he could convince her to add some kind of color to her wardrobe. When she turned her head to face him, the hair on her head bounced off her shoulders. He had never realized how long it was, or how it appeared to be thick and wavy. In fact, he'd never seen her wear it down before. It had always been tightly tied, though neat and well groomed. Suddenly, the mech felt awkward over how much he was scrutinizing her appearance. It didn't matter. Though, he had to wonder, did she 'dress up' for him? The idea made his spark curl and flip oddly.

He waited for her to meet him where he was parked before popping his passenger side door open. She paused and, for a moment, Sunstreaker feared that he had already done something wrong. Sideswipe had _insisted_ that he drive her, as a show of trust. He also said that he needed to open the door for her because that's what human males did for females. In hindsight, Erin had never been one to ask males for special treatment. Did he just insult her? At first the mech felt like a rusted servo had just patted his bumper and he was about to lay out how he couldn't be expected to understand all her confusing customs. Then he instantly bit back the thought and was about to apologize when the femme stepped towards his open door, smiling.

As she stepped inside, she was careful not to touch anything with her hands and seated herself neatly. Sunstreaker took the initiative to gently close his door behind her. "A ride from Sunstreaker," she stated with a knowing grin, "you know how to make a girl feel special."

Sunstreaker had no idea whether the femme was aware of what her statement did to him, and he sincerely hoped she didn't. He was actually glad she couldn't see his faceplates as he internally sputtered for a response. "Well," he answered far more calmly than he felt, "you're different from other squishies."

The mech could swear that a playful glint in her grey eyes. "And how am I different?" she asked, leaning in towards his steering wheel, where she had apparently chosen to speak to.

"Well," he quickly thought of a reasonable answer, "you're cleaner than other squishies."

"Cleaner?" she queried back.

"Yes," he added somewhat more defensively, "you're species is organic and oily." He added quickly, "But you're fine." Good save.

"Well," she glanced around, "are we just going to sit here or…"

With a start, Sunstreaker realized that his wheels were still plastered to the ground. In a flash, he shot out from his parked spot and headed away from the barracks. The squishy was pushed hard against his seat by the force. Fearlessly, she grabbed his seatbelt and wrapped it around herself. She had none of the fear of apprehension that he had been expecting. It helped him relax somewhat.

He split his focus between his passenger, sitting comfortably in his cab, and the path before him. As he sped, he thought be might of seen a tiny, almost wild, smile come across the femme's lips. It only took a few ticks to reach the edge of the beach. He raced along, just outside the perimeter of gritty sand. The sun was about to touch the far horizon and the sky was beginning to turn in shade. Eventually, Sunstreaker found the rocky outcropping he had been aiming for. The ground before it was hard-packed earth and wouldn't get stuck in any of his joints. He slowed, mindful of his cargo, at a far more subdued pace than he would normally go, rolling up to his destination before making a gentle stop.

Undoing the femme's seatbelt himself, he retracted it while opening the door for her. Again, she was mindful of not touching him with her hands. At that point, he wasn't sure whether it was out of respect or caution. Once she was clear, he transformed and stepped onto the large, smooth, stone surface. The formation of rocks hung over the ocean with waves only a few meters underneath.

He watched as the femme surveyed the area, her eyes finally landing on the falling sun. "This is looks like a beautiful place to watch the sunset." She commented.

Sunstreaker released a vent he hadn't realized he had been holding. Gesturing for her to follow him, he stepped to the edge of the large stone ground and sat himself down, his legs hanging over the edge with the water half a length beneath him. Though the femme followed, she stayed away from the edge, appearing calm and collected as always. Instead, she sat on a stone to his left, the solid ground there had curved further over the water, giving her space from the edge.

Instead of commenting on her obvious seating choice, he looked towards the sun as it kissed the ocean. "I come here to watch the sunset every once in a while. This may be a mudball of a planet, but at least earth has one thing going for it." He explained, glancing up at the sky which was casting a rainbow of yellow, red, blue, purple, and navy. The moon was already visible behind them.

"What were sunsets like on Cybertron?" the femme asked curiously.

It hurt a bit, remembering his home. "We didn't really have sunsets or 'rises." He explained, "We had two very distant suns that the planet spun between, but most of our light and heat came from within the planet or structures we built. During 'night' the sky would turn navy, and we could see a few stars, but it was nothing like this." He nodded to the darkening purple sky and the reddish glow hanging over the ocean.

"I guess us humans are lucky to have this then." She replied, taking a moment to follow his gaze.

They sat there for a while, appreciating in the sight before them, and absorbing the last warm rays of sunlight. The air would remain hot throughout the night. The temperature wouldn't dip below 26 Celsius before morning came.

Sunstreaker started wondering wildly what he would say to the femme when he received an alert, reminding him to refuel. Just then, he felt hunger claw at his tanks. Remembering his 'guest', he reached for the organic slop that he had stored, happy to finally remove it. Quickly, he inspected the offending bag, ensuring that nothing had leaked out and ruined his storage unit. Then, seeing that it was clear, he offered it to the femme. "I thought you might want to refuel, if you hadn't already."

She took it and thanked him politely before opening the contents. As Sunstreaker pulled out his own cube, he glanced over to what the femme held, not sure whether she would find the meal acceptable. If it wasn't, there would be a reckoning.

He saw her flinch as she opened one of the boxes inside the bag. Cautiously, he asked, "Is it alright?"

She turned to face him, expression calm as usual, if not a little surprised, "Where the hell did you get a steak?" her smile grew with each word, a hungry look appearing on her face, which had an odd effect on his spark, among other places. The feeling was so shocking and unwelcomed, it took Sunstreaker a moment to regain composure. Before he answered, she gave him a questioning look, "You don't mind if I'm eating meat?"

Honestly, he did mind, and he hadn't known that the fleshy had put that among her meal. Not wanting to ruin her apparently good mood, he shook his helm. Adding truthfully, "Hatchet said you humans naturally consume that stuff, so I guess I can't complain." If the squishy needed this to survive and stay healthy, he could deal with it. Though, he didn't think he could actually watch her consume what had once been a living, sentient creature.

She smiled and looked down at her nourishment, "Well, I guess you've got Sideswipe beat on that," she commented, "I swear, the last time he saw me eat bacon, I thought he was going to cry."

That was something Sunstreaker could easily imagine. He glanced down at the 'steak' and had trouble hiding his disgust. "Do you actually enjoy that?" he asked.

She was already cutting into it, using the utensils she had found in the bag. "Yes," she answered, "some humans avoid meat, but others really like it. Besides," she added, "like you said, it's natural." She pointed at her mouth, a digit just under one of her white teeth. It was so small, but Sunstreaker could see a sharp point to it. "We even have teeth made for tearing flesh."

The phrase made Sunstreaker involuntarily shiver. Rather than looking at the femme as she took the first bite, which was alarmingly reddish, rather than the dark outside he had expected, he focused his attention on the cube in his servo, forcing down a hard gulp. At least the femme seemed happy.

As they enjoyed their meal, conversation eventually began to flow at a more natural pace. Awkwardness began to fade and Sunstreaker was feeling less worried. It was nice, being able to speak freely with her. In that moment, as the light of day still glowed over them, Sunstreaker forgot he was talking to an organic. It was just Erin.

"You're sitting pretty close to the edge." He teased her, noticing how she would glance to the cliff every so often throughout their conversation. Her eyes instantly flashed over to the end of the rocky base, involuntarily leaning away, ever so slightly. It was perplexing, how she could be so fearful of such little heights. She wasn't even ten feet up. But, he knew her history, and could sympathize with the trauma she had experienced when, during a training session, she jumped from a plane, only for her parachute to fail. If it hadn't been for her twin sister, Cora, she wouldn't have survived. Silently, Sunstreaker thanked Primus his human hadn't met a worse fate. Still, he didn't like how fearful she acted. Sure, she could put her issues aside in a battle scenario, where focus was the key to survival, but it wasn't healthy for her in any other situation. "You know, squishy, you really should do something about that phobia of yours." He commented, trying not to sound too serious or mocking.

She glanced sidelong at him, "I'm doing just fine." she lied. "I climbed that gutter when you threw my fuckin' blade." She patted the side where her favorite weapon was once holstered. Sunstreaker made a mental note to track down Que later. The femme had waited long enough and was going to need everything she could if she was going to continue to fight alongside him and Sides.

"You did fine then," he admitted, "but have you done anything else?" he queried, already knowing the answer.

The squishy glanced away, suddenly finding the ground at her feet very interesting. Sunstreaker hummed, knowing that his point had been made. Then, in a sudden burst of movement, the femme shot to her feet and marched to the edge of the stone ground, staring daringly into the black churning water. The last wisps of sunlight disappeared beyond the horizon, leaving the night sky to glow over the mech and human. "Fine then." She stated with determination.

Her next action caught Sunstreaker completely off guard. Without so much as a second thought, she started to strip away her clothing. As her shirt came off, it revealed her skin, marred by many, barely visible scars. As she started to remove her pants, Sunstreaker turned his helm away, knowing at least enough human culture to realize staring at her in this state would likely get his optic shot out. Though, curiosity won out, and he glanced at her to see only two small pieces of clothing remained over her body. One covered her breasts- which Sunstreaker thought were the weirdest things he had ever seen on any kind of animal- and, luckily, her interface panel. He was so busy gawking, that he hadn't realized just what she was about to do.

She stepped up to the lowest part of the ledge, which dipped slightly before dropping to a sandy slope. Just as her feet left the ground, Sunstreaker lunged forward, scraping his armor on the rough ground, servo outstretched to catch the femme before she descended into the black abyss below. He brought her back to solid earth, still holding her.

She crossed her arms and stared and stared accusingly at the mech. "What was that for?".

"What do you think you were doing?" he seethed, "I didn't mean you should scrap yourself! Primus." He muttered.

Her face morphed from confusion to a humorous grin. "Sunstreaker, did you forget humans can swim?"

Sunstreaker jolted at the comment. He shuttered his optics in embarrassment. "No." he lied, setting her down.

" _Sure._ " She giggled adorably. "Now, if I have your approval," she added with a wink, "I'd like to go for a swim."

This time, the mech didn't try to stop her. Instead, he watched as she stepped up to the ledge, noting how she shuttered while looking down. She had already attempted the jump once, but he had just forced her to do it once again. With one last glance back towards him, so quick the warrior was unable to read her expression, she leapt and disappeared into the water with a small splash. He waited for her to reemerge, forcing himself not to point any scanners towards the waves. It was only a moment later, though, when her head popped up through the water, a wide grin on her face.

She glared challengingly at the mech. "Come on, it's your turn!" she called, stroking through the water, practically floating on her back. "It's not that deep." She called in a taunting voice.

"Squishy," he replied coolly, "there is no way in the name of Primus that I would ever go into that disgusting, organic infested rust-trap." Instead, he pulled out a cloth and tried to even out the smudges in his waxed finish.

"Pussy." She muttered playfully. Sunstreaker had to look up the word and he jolted at his findings. They were not what he expected, and he could only hope she meant 'coward' rather than the other options. The squishy must have realized what he found, because she burst into laughter at the look on his faceplates. He was not amused.

She continued to swim, not minding the lack of light, though she still held conversation with him as he watched her. He noticed how happy she looked in the water, and when he commented, she said that many humans found water to be therapeutic, even commenting she missed taking baths. He filed the information away for later.

Once she was satisfied, she climbed out of the water, onto the sandy shore several meters away. The mech met her where the rock ended and she climbed back up beside him. He handed her a microfiber rag, making sure there was not any traces of wax or other materials that would irritate her fleshy skin, and she wiped herself mostly dry. Sunstreaker decided to walk her back, refusing to let her sit in his seat until she was clean again. The femme didn't seem to have any issues his this, and she wrapped his cloth around her, tying it into a kind of 'dress' that hung below her knees. He didn't mind. He picked up her clothes, which he had folded while she was enjoying swim, and walked alongside her.

As she started to head over to the barracks, he quickly veered her away toward his side of base, insisting that it was closer and she could use the wash racks there. He left little room for argument as he strode away, alerting his brother that they were arriving.

* * *

Sideswipe rocked back and forth on his wheels. He was beyond happy that Rin had finally agreed to give them another chance. And, by the emotions streaming through the bond, he had a feeling the night had gone well. Sunny told him they were walking back from the beach so Sideswipe waited just inside the building's hallway. A small part of him was envious of his twin. It was Sideswipe who had put in most of the effort for their relationship. But Rin had chosen to go out with Sunny instead. That was hard to get past. However, he knew the two of them needed time to sort things out. Besides, Sunny would never leave him out of things. And Rin knew they were a package deal. Still, it wasn't easy being left behind.

As Sideswipe felt his brother approaching, he shook the thought away. Sunny was bringing her back with him, so Sideswipe would have plenty of time with her. As they came through the threshold, there were a few noticeable elements between the two. For one, Sunny was nearly smiling. He wasn't there yet, but Sideswipe couldn't see any hint of his trademark scowl. Rin also looked pleased. Even more conspicuous though, was the fact that she was wrapped in one of Sunny's cloths. Her hair was wet and hung flat over her shoulders. But, she was smiling nonetheless. That at least told Sideswipe that Sunny hadn't heinously thrown her into the ocean.

He rolled forward to greet them. "Hey Rin, how was your night?" he held a vent, waiting for her answer.

She glanced up to Sunny before directing her attention back to Sideswipe. "It went really well." She replied with a calm tone.

It wasn't bubbly excitement, but with Rin, Sideswipe could take that response as a win. He smiled widely at both the femme and his brother, whom he was proud of. "Great!"

Sunny chipped in, "We'll wait while you use the wash racks."

Sideswipe's olfactory sensors could pick up the refreshing scent of ocean water coming from her. He wondered what Sunny had said to convince the femme to use the autobot wash racks instead of the ones in her barracks. "Don't worry," he added with a wink, "we won't let anyone else inside."

She sighed irritably, in her trademark ' _I'll never win with you guys'_ way. He just smiled and walked with her to the wash racks. Sunny opened the door for her and she quietly thanked him while she happened to find her feet very interesting at that moment. The yellow mech also offered her what Sideswipe realized must have been her clothes. He sent Sunny a quick nudge over the bond. Said 'bot retaliated with a mental punch, making Sideswipe wince.

Immediately after Sunny closed the door behind Rin, they heard a knock from the other side. Sideswipe reopened it to see Rin staring up at them, a flicker of embarrassment in her eyes. "I can't reach the dial." She muttered so quietly, Sideswipe had to strain to hear her.

Holding back a burst of laughter, he entered the room. "Don't worry, sweetspark, I'll help you." He turned on the water and felt the temperature. A quick search told him that the ideal temperature was 44 degrees Celsius. As steam started to rise, he stepped back and gave one last final glance at the femme. "You need anything else?" he couldn't help but goad on, "I could help wash your back."

She swiftly shot him a hard glare that left no need for any further response.

Sideswipe chuckled and moved to leave her in peace. Before he could step out, though, Rin called his attention once again, "Sideswipe," he turned to her, a witty remark on his glossa, "I'm sorry." He paused, not expecting that. "I shouldn't have treated you the way I have."

Sideswipe search her expression. She seemed genuine and he honestly never anticipated she would bring this up. Softening his smile, he said, "All's forgiven. Thank you, Rin." Stepping out, he closed the door and sighed contently.

He and Sunstreaker stood on either side of the door, ensuring no other mech would disturb her. While they waited, Sideswipe took the opportunity to grill his brother on all the details. :So,: he started, :exactly how much did she take off?:

Sunny crossed his arms and answered out loud, "Frag off." He then added :Pervert.:

Sideswipe, thoroughly entertained, pushed on, :Come on! Don't keep it all to yourself. One day she won't even look at us, the next you two go on a date and show up with her wearing a _cloth_! What happened?:

His brother vented deeply, knowing Sideswipe wouldn't give in. :It wasn't a date. I took her to the outcropping by the beach. I had gotten food from one of the fleshies and she claimed she liked it, especially since it was mostly animal flesh.: Both mechs shivered at the thought. The 'omnivore thing' was something that they would have to work out. :We talked for a while, it was nothing big. Then, she decided to swim.: He concluded as if that was all Sideswipe would need to hear.

He was wrong. :That's it?:

:Yes.:

: _Really?_ :

Grumbling, he added, :And she took off most of her clothes to swim.:

:Sunny!: Sideswipe had to suppress himself from shouting out loud. :If that's not flirting, I don't know what is.:

:Don't call me that and don't assume too much: Sunny intervened. :We're a different species after all, I doubt she thought much of it.: He paused before adding, :And will you drop it already, you sound like a creep.:

Sideswipe snorted in a human gesture, :You know I have nothing but respect for Rin, but if she's sending us signals, we should at least acknowledge it.: After all, a creep would ask for an image, he just wanted to know how recent events affect their chances with her. Although he did envy his brother's luck.

:We don't know what she wants.: Sunny stated firmly. :And I only used this night to get back in her good graces. Nothing else.:

Sideswipe wasn't convinced. Sunny was just as far gone as he was.

When Rin knocked on the door once again, they let her out of the wash racks. Sideswipe was finally able to see her in civilian clothes and she looked amazing. He asked if she wanted to watch a movie with them in their room and, after a moment of thought, she agreed. When they arrived, she even allowed him to pick her up and set her on his own berth. In front of her, he pulled Sunny's berth in so he could set a data pad on top it. With a brother sitting on each side of the femme, the trio watched a movie of Sideswipe's choice. As he was still trying to get Rin into comics, he chose the first Spiderman, must to Sunny's disappointment.

After the movie, Erin commented on how old the human actors were. Sunny replied by saying all humans looked alike and it was much easier to tell with their own species.

"So, what do younglings look like?" she asked.

"Like young Cybertronians." Sunny deadpanned.

Sideswipe gave his brother an amused glance before elaborating for the femme, "I guess it would be hard for a human to tell." He started. "Cybertronians are smaller with their younger frames, but we also have smaller sized Cybertronians. We can just tell. For you though, sparklings and younglings have fewer defining features. But," he added sadly, "I doubt you'll ever see one."

Rin remained respectfully silent for a moment. Eventually, though, she asked, "Do you have an image I could look at?"

That was a wonderful idea. Sideswipe grinned madly and plucked the data pad. Sunny had apparently caught on to what his intentions were, and tried to lunge for the object. Rin jumped back as the gladiators wrestled over the data pad, only for Sideswipe to jump up and wrap one arm around Rin, having the pad's screen face her. Sunny, not wanting to harm the femme, stopped his assault. Instead, he stood and stepped away, crossing his arms and grumbling. Sideswipe quickly scrolled through his image history; which he had downloaded directly from his own memory file- one of the few ways he had managed to save data from home.

Eventually, he found the exact picture he was looking for. It had been taken by their own sire. Sideswipe's spark hummed happily when he saw the bar in the background. Sire always maintained it with pride. He showed Rin the picture. He was far smaller, with only tiny protrusions from his helm, which would eventually be two spikes, the edges of his frame were rounded, showing no transformation seems. It was difficult to see from that aspect, but he also had his miniature winglets. His frame was a bright red and his servos and faceplates were black. This was long before he had started using wheels, so his pedes were more like rectangles. And he had a wide smile on his faceplates, just for his sire. Sunny also looked cute, but he was far shyer then. He half-hid under the shadow of a support beam. His frame was a reddish orange- something he had always been ashamed of- and a thick, bowl-like visor, covered the top half of his downturned faceplates. The most noticeable marker were his audio receptors, which were far too large for his small helm back then. They also protruded like two rectangles, rather than the stylish ones he sported in his final frame.

Rin studied the image for a while, focusing on Sunny. Eventually, she pointed directly at it, realization dawning on her, "Is that Sunstreaker?" she asked, sounding shocked.

"Bingo!' Sideswipe chirped.

"And that must be you?" she moved her hand to his own image.

"Yup!" he agreed, "Aren't we cute?"

Sunny took another step away, not even facing the pair anymore. Sideswipe could feel tension from his side of the bond.

"Yes, you're cute." She giggled. "Alright, I see what you were talking about. Wow, you do look young." She studied to pad closer. "How big were you guys?"

Sideswipe's own helm had barley reached over the counter at that point. In fact, whenever he was cleaning the stools, he would accidently knock his helm on the ledge. "Well, I guess we were about eight feet tall at that point." He added, already guessing what Rin may ask next, "And I we were around four vorns, which would be about three hundred or so years."

Erin smiled at the image. Her head cocked curiously to the side. Slowly, she reached out and ran a finger over Sunny's visage. "The great Sunstreaker covered his beautiful faceplates?" she muttered, probably just to Sideswipe. However, Sunny had heard her and his shoulders slumped. But, before he could say anything, the femme added, "I don't see why he would, he looks adorable." Out of the corner of his optic, Sideswipe could see his brother turn ever so slightly to look at Rin.

At that moment, Sideswipe had an idea. One that may just help solidify the trust between the two. "Sunny," he called his brother, ignoring the standard 'Don't call me that.', "you should tell her."

The yellow warrior did not have to ask what he was talking about. He turned sharply at took a threatening step towards his twin. "Don't bring that up!" he snapped.

Sideswipe didn't flinch and looked pleadingly at his brother. "She's human, it won't mean anything to her." He tried to reason, "She's probably the one person you can openly tell."

All the while Rin glanced curiously between the pair. Sideswipe got up from his position around the femme to give her some more space to speak with Sunny.

Said mech looked angry but when he glanced to the femme, Sideswipe could feel his sense of apprehension. He added a quick :Come on, bro!: over their bond. At this point, Sunny's optics were glued straight to Rin, and he looked as if he was mentally preparing himself. He stepped forward and kneeled on the ground, eventually seating himself so he was closer to optic range with their femme. He cycled a long vent before finally setting a look of determination on his faceplates.

"Back when we were sparklings," he paused, considering his words carefully, "I wore a visor to hide by yellow optics." Sunny's anxiety was flooding over the bond, making Sideswipe wince.

Rin just stared back blankly before glancing worriedly between the two mechs. "Do yellow optics mean something?"

Sunny's rush of relief was so palpable, Sideswipe wondered whether Rin would be able to feel it. :Told you so.: he said over the bond. Of course she wouldn't know the significance of this, but that was something that Sunstreaker needed. She wouldn't judge him. Sideswipe just hoped his brother would be able to continue.

Sunny glanced up to Sideswipe, a silent communication passed between them. The silver mech nodded. If Rin was going to receive a full explanation it would have to involve both of their histories. Sideswipe didn't mind Rin knowing.

Sunny looked intensely at Rin and asked, "Do you promise not to tell anyone else about this?"

The femme blinked in surprise, seeming to realize the gravity of this conversation. She nodded solemnly.

Sunny sighed, resigned to continue to narrative. "Cybertronians are not supposed to have yellow optics, at least not anymore. They were inherited only by mechs and femmes from a colonized planet called Velocitron. It was known as The Speed Planet, a desert terrain where Velocitronians would compete in grand races. It was originally colonized because of its deposits of energon, but the long distance from Cybertron allowed the habitants to evolve a bit differently, mostly in optic color, speed, and culture." So far, the explanation seemed clear, and Rin nodded along to show she was understanding. "When the Decepticons first formed, before the war, they started heavy recruitment campaigns in colonized planets like Velocitron. However, the citizens outright refused to join their cause and eventually, fighting broke out. At the time, the Cybertronian counsel did nothing to stop the killing. Soon, the planet was destroyed, and the 'cons swore to offline any survivor. They even got the rest of Cybertron to disown them, claiming that they were all rust-stricken." Sunny had to pause, recalling the stories their sire had told them. "Our carrier, mother," he added for Rin's benefit, "was a Velocitronian. She managed to hide as a neutral Cybertronian in Kaon and our sire helped protect her. I inherited the trait of her optics. But, in order to stay safe, I had to hide them." He paused again, as if searching for any negative response from the femme. Upon receiving none, he continued, "The operation to change optic color was costly, but not nearly as expensive as the bribe the surgeon would require, in order to keep quiet. It wasn't until we made enough credits as gladiators that I was able to change my optics, paint job, and name."

There was a heavy silence as Rin absorbed all this new information. Then, she leaned forward and reached for Sunny. Her hand rested on the tip of his audio receptor, the one thing she could reach. The yellow mech remained still. "I'm sorry about your optics." She said. "But I'm happy you don't have to wear the visor, that's not a face you want to hide." She finished with a cheeky smile.

Sunny's optics widened comically and Sideswipe could feel each half of their shared spark spasm in their chest plates.

But the femme wasn't done. "Though," she added, "what do you mean optics, paint job, and name?"

Sunny started, realizing his slip. Not even Sideswipe caught what he had admitted. But before the yellow 'bot could say or do anything brash, Sideswipe sent calming waves through the bond. :Remember, this doesn't have the same significance to her. She couldn't care any less that we're half Velocitronian, she won't mind this either.:

Sunny look less than convinced and, for a moment, Sideswipe was worried he would leave, potentially undoing all they had accomplished. However, he only adjusted his legs beneath him into a more comfortable position. And, once again, he carefully cycled air. "To start," he said, "our creators didn't have much time to choose my frame color after they found out we were split spark. Sides' frame was one they had worked hard to form, but mine was… a rush job." He admitted painfully. "The first frame is important because it decides the base of everything we eventually form into with our third frames. It's nearly impossible to change some the original elements." There were a few things in Sunny's frame that he wished he could change. Sideswipe always felt bad for that and how he was given the well-thought-out frame. "Even changing color can be difficult. The wealthy could purchase nanites that would bond with their own, allowing them to change color instantly. We, however, couldn't afford that. In order to change color, our nanites have to be trained over time. Sideswipe had to make his nanites turn black before going silver, and that took a few vorns. It's easier to go black than to a lighter color, though. So after a while, I only had a much darker yellow than I have now. When we got more credits, though, I was able to pay for an upgrade." That was an easier explanation than what Sunny had before him. Even Rin could understand his wish to change from the off-rust color he sported to his sleek yellow. Sideswipe liked being red, but he just changed his frame because he felt like it, as many Cybertronians did.

"Any your name?" Rin probed cautiously.

Sunny nodded, showing that he had not given up. He would be open with her. "It's hard for a mech to change his name. Mostly because its, again, expensive. Our carrier had named me after the Velocitronian sun, and a symbol for wisdom among her people, but it didn't mean the same thing on Cybertron. She had named me… Ruststreaker." Sideswipe winced with sympathy. He knew how much just the taste of that word offended Sunny's glossa.

He had been humiliated as a youngling. Sideswipe, however, had decided to do something about it. When they were young, their sire tried to explain the origins of Sunstreaker's name, in an attempt to comfort him. On Velocitron, the color of rust was a sign of elder wisdom. The colonials had even named their sun Rustfeho. It was Sideswipe who decided that, instead of being 'Rust'streaker, he would just call his twin 'Sun'streaker, still in honor of their creators' wishes. Sunstreaker quickly got attached to the name and even their sire decided to use it. It wasn't until long after their remaining creator offlined that Sunny officially had his name changed.

Rin stared deeply into Sunny's optics, taking in everything he said and each minute change in expression she witnessed. Silently, she slid forward so that her legs were hanging over the edge of the berth. With no regard for the height, she jumped down, landing on Sunny's knee. He stayed skill and she scrambled up his lap, only to lean herself against his lower chest plates and a wide-armed hug.

Sunny paused for a moment, leaving Sideswipe unsure how his twin would react to being touched by a human, but a deep sense of trust kept him seated. Carefully, the yellow mech brought a servo up to cup around Rin's shoulders, returning what he could of the embrace. She whispered kind things to him, about how she was sorry, she knew how important a name was to a person, and how, no matter what happened before, he was beautiful. It made Sideswipe's spark skip. A part of him wanted to join in, but he knew that Sunny needed this, someone besides his brother whom he could rely on. They stayed like that for a while. Eventually, Rin slid down to lie down against Sunny's abdominal plates. And soon, she began drifting off. Sideswipe had laid out on the berth and stretched a servo forward to stroke the femme's back with a digit.

When he was sure the femme had fully fallen into recharge, he sat up and pulled Rin's blanket from his subspace. "Let's get you two into the berth." He never even suggested taking her back to her own berthing. It was late, he was tired, and he didn't want to let her go quite yet.

Carefully, Sideswipe grabbed hold of the limp form, who hardly stirred as he wrapped her up and laid her on the berth, directly in the middle. It would be tight, but there would be enough room for all three of them to share Sideswipe's berth for the night.

Sunny stood and looked down on the femme, who looked peaceful as she laid there. :Sides,: Sunny asked in uncharacteristic weakness, :what are we going to do with this?:

Sideswipe knew what he was referring to. It was undeniable at that point. They had both fallen for the human. This was new, uncharted territory. But there was one thing he was sure of. :I don't know, but she's stuck with us now.:


	30. Chapter 30

**Hello Dear Readers! I'm sorry for the hiatus. I don't really have an excuse, just some more writer's block. I've been second guessing how I'm going about the story and it's making it hard to put words on the page. That doesn't mean I'm giving up on it! I've been reading back over the chapters and considering what needs to happen next. I might diverge from the outline I have planned, not completely, but it's taking me time to get things back in order. As I have told you before, I am a new writer and have a lot to learn in terms of planning and management of my story. Thank you for being patient with me.**

 **And thank you especially to my wonderful reviewers; SkyenhaMarisa, SolusPrimeLightblast, TomRiddlesTwin, .Princess, (Anonymous), Saylix, C, Rachel0424, branamxrie, mary123ciel, and Cinematronix.**

Chapter 30

"Come on Prowler, we both know you shouldn't be held up in here all day. Let's go out and get some light. It'll be good for you!" Jazz pulled at Prowl's door wings, something only he was allowed to do.

As usual, the small silver mech had barged in and offered to get some energon with the SIC. Prowl, too engaged in his work, had politely refused. He would refuel later. His friend, however, had other plans. And just like that, Jazz had decided to turn an energon run into an entire outing.

Usually, Prowl would go along with whatever the mech wanted, he always seemed to know what was best for him anyway. But as his investigation kept turning up more dead ends, he had been increasing his efforts in finding the infiltrator. Every empty servo report he gave to Optimus Prime only cut into the mech's confidence.

Prowl pushed the smaller 'bot's arm away and seated himself back down. "Not now, Jazz." He sighed, "I'm busy with the latest security footage." The SIC promptly ignored the low energon warning flashing over his HUD. He could monitor his own refueling just fine.

Jazz looked skeptically at the black and white mech. "You know that stuff's scrapped, Prowler. Obsessing over it isn't going to make the perp appear in front of you."

"We lost Arcee, Jazz." He reminded him harshly, "She may not have been a carrier, but she was most likely the last femme of our kind. And then Mirage turned traitor. We are on the brink of extinction and someone is trying to push us over the edge. If I don't find out who, we could lose more 'bots."

Jazz's reply was caught in his vocalizer. Prowl could not be sure whether it was his words, or the defeated look on his faceplates, but the mech sobered quickly. After a moment of silent communication between the two of them, Jazz nodded and sat on one of the available chairs.

"Show me the footage from the that night again." He said, shifting into his role as Prime's Third in Command.

Grateful for the understanding, Prowl pulled the video clip onto his data pad. It was Jazz who first realized the cameras must have been put on a loop whenever the intruder made a move. Since there was no physical evidence of tampering, he must had been using some kind of remote device. With the help of Sideswipe, Prowl upgraded the cameras to withstand remote hacking. Then, the enemy also changed tactics. Prowl was greatly concerned as to how the individual had learned of the upgrade and prepared a response in only a few short weeks.

The target's quick adaptations made evidence gathering slow coming. Luckily, though, the new footage from three nights prior provided interesting results.

On the screen, what appeared to be a fuzzy white, human sized mass moved down the hallway, towards a storage closet outside the communications room. The two mechs had already surmised that, since upgrading security, the infiltrator could not access any communications hub, So they hacked into the system on the other side of the wall. Small holes in the closet leading to one of the servers on the other side confirmed the theory.

"So," Jazz stated after watching the video loop a few times, "since he can't hack the video feed, he's sending some kind of signal that disrupts the visuals around him. He's gotta be carrying some kind of device on him. We could set up scanners for odd wavelengths. See where that leads us."

Prowl had already considered this and agreed that it could lead to something. "If we figure out the wavelength used, we could calibrate the scanners to defeat it." Even if their enemy managed to get past yet another of Prowl's traps, they would still be one step closer to cornering him.

"Right, my mech." Jazz added, "Also, this new device has a fatal flaw. Look, see that." His digit tapped on the data pad, right to the white object.

Prowl quirked his optic ridge in just the slightest display of emotion, "A shadow?"

"Yup," the small mech chirped, "that confirms it's a real person prancin' across that hallway. And we can use that to our benefit."

Jazz's confidence intrigued Prowl. "How so?" He asked, mood lightening.

Jazz grinned knowingly. He was well versed in being the one who would "prance" around a target's base, so he knew how to find others like him. This was his element. And it was a welcome relief for an autobot who had been removed from all combative roles. "Well, right now, there's too much light, so the shadow's faded and blurry. But if we can cut some of it out, every other fixture should do the trick, then the shadow will be well defined. It could help us get an ID on our man. At the very least we can get an estimate of height and build."

It was a reasonable proposal, however obvious the ploy may seem to the enemy, it was worth a try. "Very well," Prowl replied, "I will run this by Prime."

"Nu uh, Prowler." Jazz snatched up the SIC's data pad. "I'll do that, you are gonna get some energon. I'll meet you in a tic, alright?"

Prowl spared no expense in the hard glare he sent his friend, grumbling, "Alright." It did not pay to argue with Jazz when he had his mind set on something.

Prowl left his office and headed towards the rec room, just as his systems were pinging him with more low energon warnings. Jazz could always tell when the SIC had reached his limit.

It was a risky game he was playing, letting the base activities continue as if nothing was going on. His first instinct was to lock everything down, but a perpetrator this well prepared would know how to hide in the chaos. He could only hope that the enemy would slip up at some point. If he captured them, then perhaps he could find out more about Mech's plot.

* * *

Sideswipe contently read from his data pad, a new manga gracing the screen. He was comfortably curled around his femme, one arm holding up his device, and the other carefully resting against Rin. He'd onlined a while ago and, not wanting to disturb the femme's rest, decided to entertain himself.

Through the bond, the front liner could sense that his twin must still be in the wash racks. He had left for the racks nearly half an hour ago. Even more concerning, he could feel Sunny's brooding frustration lapping at the edges of the bond, like a sea of mercury. Much to Sideswipe's disappointment, he had not joined him and Rin in the berth the night before, instead staying on his own side of the room.

Once whatever high he was experiencing from the femme's forgiveness subsided, Sunny started to revert back. It was worrying how he still wouldn't admit to enjoying her presence, but even he couldn't deny having a descent night with the femme.

It was rather uncharacteristic for Rin to just fall into recharge and it was oddly satisfying to see that side of her. She wasn't guarded like normal. To a gladiator, that trust meant a lot.

Images of Rin still popped up in his processor every so often, images that he should not have been imagining. The more he thought of it, the less abnormal it seemed. Sideswipe's initial fantasy had been pretty sparse. He lacked the experience to imagine exactly what it would feel like. All he had to go on was her external softness. The curiosity was almost palpable. Sideswipe knew that Sunny felt the same way. That, and the yellow mech wanted to beat him to scrap for it. Sunny was fully convinced these thoughts and feelings were a side effect of Sideswipe's own fragged up emotions and had nothing to do with him. But Sideswipe knew better.

However, when Sideswipe tried to push for details about their date, his brother was distant. They immediately switched to coms when Erin began to stir.

:I only did it to make things normal again.: He muttered, sounding more like he was trying to convince himself.

:Don't do that.: Sideswipe warned, :Don't go back when we've made so much progress. Don't you realize how happy we can be with her?: It was painful to watch Sunny do this to himself, to them.

:And what would she want with us?: he challenged hotly.

Sideswipe started for a moment, unsure of how to answer. :That's for her to decide.: He replied slowly.

Sunny's optics narrowed on the femme who was dozing peacefully unaware of the two mechs. :It's disgusting.: he muttered.

An initial shock of cold fury ran through Sideswipe's energon lines. No one should be allowed to talk about Rin like that. However, wanting to avoid another fight, he vented deeply and challenged Sunny's assessment, reverting to a mocking grin. :You know you let her touch you last night, right?: It was more than just a touch, though, and Sideswipe knew Sunny would never curse that display of affection and comfort Rin shared with him after learning some of the mech's most traumatic secrets.

The yellow mech growled verbally. :One more word and I'll reformat your faceplates.: He slammed the bond shut and turned away, but Sideswipe didn't let that outburst effect his victorious smile.

:I can't help it, Sunny.: Said mech paused before he reached the door, iving Sideswipe an opportunity to plead once more. :I wouldn't feel this way if I could stop it. But,: a fond smile appeared on the silver mech's faceplates, :how many femmes are like her? I really care about her. The rest is… mostly curiosity.:

Sideswipe could see Sunny's shoulders drop. :Sides, she's human,:

:But what if she wasn't?: The mech shot back, a dreamy look on his faceplates.

Sunny grabbed the door, signaling he wouldn't discuss this much further. :Wishing won't do you any good.:

:Just tell me, if she was a 'bot…: Sideswipe pushed, hoping to get his brother to realize just how good she was for them.

:That would be a different story.: he relented while stepping out.

Sideswipe's voice sobered. :Attraction aside, I know you care for her just as much as I do.:

He left without a response.

* * *

Hardly any light filtered through Erin's eyelids when she regained consciousness. Wherever she was, it was dark. Instinctively, she knew she was not in her own bed. This was different. The area around her was hard, and the sheets covering her were different. However, after a moment of caution, familiar sensations drifted towards her consciousness. She knew the smell of the comforter that rolled around her. And she could easily name the mechanical venting sounds coming from the large, solid being against whom her back was pressed.

Calmly, she blinked her eyes open, and stirred from a relatively comfortable position. Regardless of the change of venue, she had slept remarkably well for being with company. As soon as she showed signs of awakening, Sideswipe started. Erin turned her head to meet his gaze. The blue glow of his optics and the pale light of the data pad on his servos were the only things brightening the room. Through the shadows that molded over his faceplates, the soldier could see the mech's gentle smile.

"Good morning, sweetspark." He greeted, speaking barely above a whisper.

"Morning." She mumbled, not sure what she was supposed to say.

The bright spark on Sideswipe's optics told the soldier that the mech was, in fact, having a very good morning. Internally she admitted that the previous night had gotten away from her. She wanted to test a theory and could safely confirm all her suspicions. However, she had no idea what she wanted to do with this information.

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker had feelings for her. What the exact form of these emotions were, she couldn't be sure. But with Sideswipe it was mostly apparent. He might as well have woken her by reciting poetry. Internally, she cringed, not knowing how to proceed. She'd woken in men's beds before, but she always had a clear plan for escape mapped out, and she almost never expected to see them after her retreat. Sideswipe was her teammate, a teammate who was attracted to her, and whose berth she was laying in. Not that she had done anything regrettable the previous night, but there was an implied sense of intimacy she never intended to foster.

She was so off guard, she hadn't known what to say. Before Sideswipe could get two words in, she jumped up, citing she had a Tarnian lesson with Ironhide and he wouldn't like it if she was late. Aside the fact that the night before Erin had told Sideswipe she had no plans and no duties the next day, she hadn't even checked the time as she stood in the windowless room.

Before Sideswipe could respond to her obvious excuse, she fell off the berth, literally. She just slid to the edge without thinking and, without any light to guide her, stumbled onto the ground. A pitiful squeal left her lips, her heart stopping for a moment as she lost her balance and landed stiffly on her side. Sideswipe had shot forward to catch her, but he was too late. After the mist of fear cleared from her eyes, the young woman, even more embarrassed, stumbled to her feet and hurried to the door. Sideswipe's optics illuminated her way as his gaze followed her. As she reached the door she vainly attempted to wretch it open, hearing Sideswipe wheel up behind her. She paused, waiting for him to beg her to calm down and stay.

"Need a servo?" he asked quietly. The dejected sound of his voice could have torn her heart out. When she didn't answer, he pressed, "Are you still mad at me?"

Erin froze, finally looking up and seeing the hurt in the silver mech's optics. An uncomfortable guilt swelled in her chest. "No… no, Sideswipe, it's nothing against you." She rubbed her neck, embarrassed by her brash behavior. "I was just… I didn't want to be in the way, I've obviously been here all night and…" she wasn't sure how to respond, but she saw Sideswipe's shoulders drop, he didn't believe her. "Look," she tried to forced her body to relax, taking in a deep breath before letting it out quickly, "I was embarrassed." She admitted. "I didn't mean to fall asleep in your berth and I wasn't sure how to react waking up there."

Sideswipe appeared to mull her answer over in his mind before relaxing, a forced smile quirking his lip plates. "I'm sorry, that's our fault. We should have woken you and taken you back."

Erin could not bare to see him so upset. Signing, she waved away him apology. "No, you did nothing wrong. Thank you for letting me rest here. Besides," she added awkwardly, "I doubt there's anywhere safer for a girl to sleep."

At that, the mech seemed to brighten a little. "Any time." He replied.

His smiled warmed Erin. It was nice to know that someone cared for her feelings and opinions. Ever since she lost Cora, the soldier had never imagined she'd find another friend like her.

"So," Sideswipe interrupted Erin's thoughts, "do you still need to leave or can you hang out for a bit?"

Embarrassment and guilt pricked at Erin's conscious. "No, I can stay." She muttered awkwardly. She couldn't help but notice the mech's use of 'need' rather than 'want'. He was giving her an out. Instead, she stepped away from the door as Sideswipe finally turned on the lights.

He looked around the room, optics searching and coming up short if his faceplates was anything to go by. "Um," he started, suddenly looking unsure of himself, "why don't we just talk?"

Erin had a feeling she knew what he wanted to say. There was a lot to discuss, but neither of them could bring it up.

Quickly, Erin tried to redirect his focus. "So, where's Sunstreaker?" she asked, leaning against the leg of said mech's berth. After already falling once, Erin decided that she was done with heights for the day.

Sideswipe seemed to accept Erin's unspoken wish and sat on the ground, crossing his legs. "He's in the wash racks right now." He chuckled lightly, "I bet you a case of high grade he'll be there for a while."

She waved off his wager. "I'll pass. Not only is that a vague timeline, but you know you'd win that one either way."

With a good humored shrug he said, "Worth a shot."

In the end, they had a non-purposeful conversation and Erin was fine with that. She was learning that Sideswipe was someone she could be comfortable with in nearly any setting.

Eventually, though, Sideswipe nervously looked like he wanted to ask something, waving his servos in a very human gesture. Noticing this, Erin questioned what was on his mind. Though, she feared what he might say, she couldn't just ignore him. Sideswipe was usually so confident and occasionally cocky, seeing him in such a state wrecked Erin.

"Well," he started, looking off to the side, "I was just thinking that it's been a while since I heard you sing and I was wondering whether you would be willing to sing something now."

The soldier blinked in surprise. Not only was that completely different from what she had been expecting, but Sideswipe usually threw caution to the wind when making such requests. In fact, he was often quite blatant when he wanted to hear her sing. When he asked like this, Erin couldn't find it in herself to deny him, especially upon seeing the hopeful glimmer in his optics.

It had been a while since she'd sung for either him or his brother but she had begun to even enjoy those little performances; mostly because of how much they seemed to appreciate them.

Closing her eyes, Erin recalled one of her favorites, "All around me are familiar faces. Worn out places, worn out faces…"

Unbeknownst to her, Sunstreaker was leaning on the other side of the doorway, listening with closed optics.

* * *

Erin felt awkward sitting on a human sized sofa, after having grown so accustomed to the autobot rec room. However, she felt the need to be around her own kind for a while, even if her own kind were a bunch of drunken men.

It all started when Franky invited her to a game of poker. Even he seemed sure she wouldn't agree, since she'd turned him down every other time. However, on this occasion, Erin decided to take the man up on the offer. Franky, in turn, seemed pleasantly surprised.

After leaving Sideswipe so she could grab some breakfast for herself, the soldier decided that she needed some space to think. Though, she was grateful that Sideswipe had convinced her to stay a little longer, so she could eventually leave on better terms with the mech. A lot had gone on in the past twenty four hours and Erin needed time to process it. And maybe spend the evening with her own kind for once. Not only had she practically gone on a date with Sunstreaker, whom some men had dubbed 'The Yellow Demon', but the twins loaded many lifetimes worth of personal history on her. While she was receptive to it, and appreciated their trust, it would take more than a single evening to process all she had learned about them, mainly Sunstreaker. _Ruststreaker._ Just taking in through hindsight, Erin would find herself shuttering. She was also thankful to have not seen Sunstreaker that morning, having apparently missed him when he first woke and whenever he returned. She wouldn't know what to say.

The game went smoothly, Erin didn't win, but there were no real stakes. Her fellow soldiers were surprisingly appropriate, aside from Franky of course. Though, Erin had could sense some of that behavior was rooted in fear, if the cautious glances cast her way were any hint. After Living on Diego Garcia for a year, most of the men knew to respect Erin's boundaries. That, and none of them wanted to offend Sideswipe and Sunstreaker's teammate.

Afterwards, Erin once again agreed to join Franky, this time in the human rec room. While she'd seen it before, Erin had before never spent more than a few seconds there. It was large with high ceilings and a doorway sized to fit the occasional cybertronian who visited. Erin had heard how Jazz would frequent the shared space but the only 'bot there at the time was Que.

Franky sat just outside Erin's comfort zone, an arm casually hanging on the top of the couch so it stretched just over her head. There banter was light enough, though Franky couldn't seem to resist the occasional innuendo. Personally, Erin thought Sideswipe's sexualized jokes were far more entertaining. That may have had something to do with the fact of how thirsty the man was acting. She accepts one invitation and he was apparent how he was already thinking of afterhours activities.

However, the woman's focus drifted away from her perverted companion and to the mech who swung his arms animatedly as he described a past battle, the energon in his cube purple, rather than the usual blue.

From that side of the room, Adam seemed to be listening intently to Que's slurred words, an amused smile on his face. In return, he appeared to be the mech's main focus.

"They seem to be hitting it off." Erin commented, nodding to the pair.

Franky followed her line of sight. "Yeah, that's been going on for a while. Of course you wouldn't know, since you hardly come up here." There was a hint of interest in his voice which Erin thoroughly ignored.

Instead, she turned on him, amusement in her gaze, "I'm surprised you're willing to be this close to an autobot without shaking."

"Ha ha." He said unamused. "I'm not scared. I leave them alone and they leave me alone." Using the arm which was not lurking over Erin's shoulder, he reached for his open beer and took a long swig.

Erin snorted as his reasoning. "Mechs are not spiders and they wouldn't just attack you."

"Even the yellow one?" Franky quirked his brow challengingly before emptying the bottle.

The woman felt some kind of prickling sensation beneath her skin, pairing with distinctive annoyance. "Sunstreaker isn't the loose cannon you think he is." She shot back defensively. In the back of her mind, Erin reminded herself, _And he wasn't always yellow. He suffered a lot before he could get that beautiful color on his armor and_ Francis _spat out the word as if it meant nothing._ Internally, Erin knew she was being unreasonable, Franky wasn't actually attacking Sunstreaker's appearance but that logic failed to calm the woman's nerves.

The man raised both hands in a placating gesture, "I never _said_ he was," he quickly responded before adding with a mutter, "but he at least has a history of threatening people."

Aggravated, Erin leaned away from the man, "He's just defensive around people and I don't blame him." She added with an accusing glare. There were too many people like Franky who would never even give any of the mechs a chance. Other 'bots wouldn't even give the twins an opportunity to prove themselves. Mechs like Wheeljack and Mirage always assumed the worst of them. At least the latter wasn't around anymore. The twins deserved better.

Their attention was diverted by Que stumbling to his pedes, issuing an apology to the 'bot-sized concrete couch he accidentally kicked. Adam followed him out, waving to Erin and Franky as he left with the scientist.

"Where are they going?" she asked, mostly to herself.

Nevertheless, Franky responded, "Adam usually walks him back after he's had too much to drink, makes sure he doesn't fall asleep in random places or whatever."

Erin looked back to the man in surprise, "Back to the berth in his lab?"

"I don't know where he sleeps." However dismissive he sounded, Franky still looked relieved to have steered away from the previous conversation. "Well," he stretched his arms, "I'm gonna hit the sack. How about I walk you back?" he added while waggling his eyebrows.

"No." she replied flatly before adding, "I'm going on a run. I'll see you tomorrow." Without another word, she left the disappointed looking man and headed to the nearby track which was well lit in the evening. She didn't think she was ready to sleep just yet, not while so many thoughts were clouding her mind.

She saw Adam and Que turn the corner before being engulfed into the night. She never knew they had any kind of friendship and they seemed close. Granted, Que was friendly with anyone, but Adam never seemed to care about interacting with the autobots.

The cold chill of suspicion shrouded Erin's thoughts. She'd always been around Adam because he seemed different with that calm, unaffected gaze of his. There was something about him Erin was trying to figure out whenever she observed him. Especially since he seemed to do the same to her.

Putting caution aside, Erin sprinted after the pair, not seeing them all the way to the hanger. She headed for the quickest route to Que's lab. There was always the chance she was being paranoid, but something seemed off. Few humans went to the autobot hanger, outside the common areas of course. Erin had long known she was suspected of Mech involvement. Prowl and Jazz watched her constantly. The soldier idly wondered whether Adam was the recipient of the same suspicion. Not being a member of Team Prime himself, he had no reason to be on that side of the base. Plus, Que's lab had no surrounding cameras, to avoid risk of a hacker gaining sensitive information. Instead, cameras watched either side entrance off the hallway so anyone going in or out was recorded. Erin had once thought Mech was able to breach security and take Que's experimental weapon because of the scientist's unbridled friendliness, perhaps even allowing non Team Prime members access to his lab. Yet Adam was taking a rather inebriated Que right to the entrance.

However, before Erin could enter the hallway, she came face to face with Adam, returning from his 'bot delivery. The man stood over her, unflinching while Erin quickly schooled her featured.

"Adam." She greeted, ensuring her breathing was under control.

He nodded back on his usual silence.

"Going back to the barracks?" she asked conversationally.

Again he nodded, his eyes casting a questioning glance at her.

Calmly, she explained, "I'm headed to see the twins."

"It's late." He replied, voice barely above a whisper.

Before Erin could respond, her data pad received an alert, the chime cutting through the thick atmosphere between the two. "Excuse me." She retreated a few paces and pulled out the offending device. The message was a level 1 alert from Prowl, _"Meet in the War Room."_ Erin responded with an affirmative before casting one last glance at Adam. "I have to go." She turned on her heels and ran for the other corridor, leaving Adam alone.

* * *

*The song is "Mad World" by Tears for Fears.


	31. Chapter 31

Hello dear readers!

I'm back! Sorry for the unplanned hiatus. I absolutely promise I will not abandon this story. Thank you as always to all the people who PM'd to check in on me and to all the others who have been waiting.

Thank you as well to my wonderful reviewers; KEZZ 1, (Guest X2), .Princess, ElizellaGalaxy, aquarius89, .Qween, TerrorTwinsFan, Imparting Abyss, and Ixsa.

Enjoy!

Chapter 31

When Erin arrived in the War Room, Prime, Prowl, Jazz, Ironhide, Lennox, and a few other men from the human-only faction of Team Prime were already there. Erin quickly found herself a seat on the second floor which overlooked the rest of the 'bots and waited silently as Que and Wheeljack filed in as well. There could have been more people needed, but Erin only really cared about the presence of two. She waited, half glancing at the door and noticed Ironhide looking quizzically at her. They hadn't spoken since she revealed Sunstreaker's transgressions a couple days prior and he no doubt was wondering what had occurred since then. She knew he must have said something to the yellow mech, he was a 'bot of action after all. At one point she would need to thank him for his help, and for not telling the command, for Sunstreaker would surely have been brigged, justly or not.

Eventually, Erin heard the tandem pedesteps of two tall, well-formed mechs confidently striding into the room. Within moments, their optics zeroed in on Erin and she found herself under a massive shadow. Rather than seating themselves among their cybertronian comrades, the twins stood to the side of the open second floor, where Erin sat furthest from the other humans. Both mechs crossed their arms, showing they were not planning on moving. Sideswipe turned to give Erin a quick wink while Sunstreaker stared straight on.

Optimus Prime only spared a glance towards them before beginning, "Thank you for coming on such short notice." He greeted briefly before continuing, "there has been a report of insecticon activity in Zavalla, Texas. We believe their target is the nuclear fission research facility near there. It has long been considered a potential target of decepticons, so measures have already been taken to protect the communities who live nearby. Thus, the area is currently under evacuation, lessening the risk of an unwanted sighting. In addition, the area is surrounded by forests and is home to a national park which has put cut off to the public. We will make camp in a designated area with plenty of cover and a guarded distance from any civilians."

A screen behind the mech lit up with a satellite image showing what Erin assumed was the facility. It was bordered on one side by a river and thick forest on the other. Only one service road appeared to connect to the massive building.

He began discussing plans and pointing out where everyone would be stationed. Each faction of the human side of Team Prime would take vital points around the facility with autobots and regular human troops spaced between them. Erin's team, however, would investigate the facility. Should the insecticons get past the others, it would be their job to take on the beast in close quarters. They were to remain there, staying in a makeshift camp, and taking regular patrol duties until given further orders. The Prime also mentioned that, as the insecticon had not yet attacked the facility, and seemed to only be scoping it, there was a likely chance that a higher intelligence was guiding the creature's actions. In short, the decepticons had an insecticon on their side. Luckily, the reports were only vague sightings and there was no guarantee of an attack, something Erin would not look forward to enduring again.

"Are there any questions?" he asked, scanning the room.

All men looked primed and ready for whatever came there way. All, except for Sunstreaker, who uncrossed his arms and took a step towards his commander. "Yeah, I got one." He glared challengingly at all who stood before him. "Our squishy is taking the riskiest job, but she had the weakest arsenal." He changed his focus to Que, "where's that weapon you've been designing for her?"

Erin blanched as dozens of heads turned to look curiously at her. Subtlety was not one of Sunstreaker's strong suits. Nevertheless, she tried to school her features. The mech at least had a point, a flimsy pistol would do little against an insecticon. The soldier noticed how the leadership among the autobots cast glances at one another before Prowl replied, "Due to the recent security threats, no new non-standard issue weapons have been dispensed."

Sunstreaker glared defiantly back, "Then someone more well equipped should handle this."

The statement struck Erin. She knew Sunstreaker could be unforgiving at times, but she thought he at least respected her presence during combat. She fought the urge to drop her head. At the very least, she would sit up with pride, and not let his honesty hurt her.

Prime looked thoughtful but Ironhide narrowed his optics, "And who'd you reckon replace her?" he made no effort to hide the venom in his tone. And again, Erin felt awash with stares from various soldiers, the only knowing look came from Lennox who allowed the mechs to figure out their internal issues on their own.

Sunstreaker, mockingly copying Ironhide's voice, replied, "I reckon you and Wheeljack take our places, unless you're scared of taking an insecticon on solo, you know we aren't."

Erin blinked with realization _'our places'_? The autobot leadership seemed to have expressions matching hers.

There was an awkward pause before Prime made a sound of clearing his vocalizer. "Que, is the weapon designed for Specialist Brook ready?"

Said mech perked up, "Oh, yes! I've even assured it won't blow up."

"Then," Prime continued, "I can see fit to authorize a test run during this assignment."

For a moment, Prowl appeared as if he might object, but as both mechs' optics dimmed, the first and second in command seemed to reach an agreement through their comms.

Sunstreaker leaned back, both him and Sideswipe, who had remained uncharacteristically silent, seemed satisfied.

Finally, Lennox piped in, "Meet at the main airstrip at 0300 hours."

A course of 'yes sir's echoed around the room as soldiers stood to start preparations for the departure. Erin remained seated, looking at the back of the twins' helms, thinking a myriad of thoughts.

Sunstreaker turned sharply towards her, a disappointed glare set on his faceplates. "Why the frag didn't you say anything, squishy? Do you want to go into battle with that toy?" he pointed an accusing digit at her sidearm.

Ignoring a wave of self-consciousness, Erin tried to relax. "Sunstreaker," she replied evenly, "I already tried to get any kind of upgrade, even a standard rifle was considered off limits. You know they have become strict with weapon distribution. If I had spoken out, it would do little to convince Prowl." Said mech was in charge of distribution of e-weapons, and not even Lennox could override him.

Her answer failed to satisfy the mech, instead, in leaned in close, venting angrily, "So you just roll over for them? That's not like you."

"I'm just reading the room." She answered diplomatically. "It's no secret Prowl suspects me of being the spy. Jazz follows me around half the day already." She'd seen the irate and questioning glances the twins passed towards the Third in Command whenever he hung around to long.

Sideswipe chimed in, sounding as offended as one who was personally accused. "But that's ridiculous. You'd never do that. Besides, I saw you turn down Mech's recruitment."

Her mind rolled back to that humiliating display the year prior. It lit a flame of frustration in her chest. "Really?" she shot back, "I was one of the few who had access to the very shoulder fire cannon designs that mech gained access to." No one could deny how bad that looked. "I cannot share any details of my personal or professional history, and that 'recruitment' could easily be seen as theater." She had to force herself to take a breath to calm herself. In a more subdued tone she added, "Face it, I'm not trusted."

Sideswipe fell silent, but Sunstreaker piped in, "Then why hasn't Prowl done anything if he's so sure it's you?"

Erin hung her head. "I don't know. It's possible he wants to flush out more spies or figure out what Mech's master plan is. That would explain why I'm always shadowed." That much was clear, at least, but the rest of Prowl's intentions eluded her. "In fact, he may have allowed me to get the new weapon as a test. I have no doubt he had Que add some kind of tracking and recording device to the weapon. And if Mech got their hands on this design as well, it would basically prove to Prowl that it was me." She added quickly, "And if the real spy were to get access to the designs, they could use them to frame me."

A low growl vibrated from Sunstreaker. "Then you're just going to keep your head down like this? How is that fair?"

The soldier saw how upset the twins were becoming. With a mission coming, she couldn't allow them to be distracted by rage towards a commanding officer. She shouldn't of allowed herself to disclose this much in the first place. Idle gossip never helped anyone. Quickly, she thought of something that might satiate their frustration. "It's not like that. In fact, I have a hunch as to whom the infiltrator might actually be."

"Who?"

The venom behind the pair's question told Erin she had said the wrong thing. The last thing she needed was the twins streaking through the base to take down whomever she named. "Now is not the best time to discuss these things. I'll talk to you about it after we get back from Texas."

"Why?" Sunstreaker challenged. "We can put all this slag to rest now!"

"Because we have a job to do, and don't deny knowing would distract you two." She evened with their optics, letting it sink in that she would not budge on this. "Let's get ready for the mission first, then we'll deal with the suspect. Besides, if I just strolled up to Prowl with a name, he'd never listen. If anything, he'd think I was just trying to cover my tracts.

Sunstreaker crossed his arms and grumbled in a more subdued tone, "I don't like this, squishy."

"You don't have to." She replied matter-of-factly. "I just need you to trust me."

* * *

Sideswipe and Sunny followed Rin along the hallway, making sure to match their pace to hers. He felt as if he had something heavy sitting in his tanks. It didn't seem right that Rin would keep anything from them, even if only for a short while. Rin was in a tough situation. It is far more difficult to prove innocence than guilt, at least in this case. While never openly discussed, he knew Prowl was nearly adamant that Rin was the guilty party. Thus, she would be blamed not only for the incident with mech, but the loss of Arcee and potentially the abandonment and theft by Mirage. Sideswipe knew in his spark she could have never done such things, but he didn't know what he could do to help. Rin was one of the smartest people he knew, human or cybertronian, and if she was certain she'd found the identity of the spy, Sideswipe would believe her. If she'd only share her knowledge, Sideswipe could convince Prime and Prowl of her innocence.

The silver mech glanced over to his brother to notice his light blue optics were trained on Rin's back. He wanted to defend Rin just as much as Sideswipe did. Afterall, they owed her for her own displays of loyalty. He could clearly remember the horror he once felt when she mutilated the bodies of the mech soldiers he had slain. However, it was out of cunning and caring that she had done so, to protect him from the wrath of their leadership over the deaths of humans at the hands of autobots. She stayed by their sides whenever they were sent to the brig, even for the smallest of pranks she insisted on joining them out of protest for Prowls insistence on him and his brother being brigged together, regardless of fault. And Sideswipe knew Rin played a role in calming Ironhide's judgment against the two of them. She seemed to be constantly looking out for them, and it was time they return the favor.

Cold determination swelled within Sideswipe and he could feel it reflected through the bond. They would wait, as Erin wished, but not for long. Even if they had to take out the spy with their own servos, they would protect her from Prowl's unjust accusations.

The trio past the blast doors leading to Que's lab to find the Second in Command and scientist waiting outside the lab. The former looked irate while the other seemed nearly giddy with excitement.

Before the doors closed behind Sideswipe, Que was presenting his creation to Rin. Sideswipe kept a thermo scanner on the device, to make sure it didn't blow up his human.

He had to admit, though, it looked quite impressive. It was modeled heavily on Sideswipe's own wrist blades and Sunstreaker made contributions to the design as well. The blade was curved and pointed on either side with the hilt being composed of a wrist strap that rested in the middle of the blade.

"Remember," Prowl stated before Rin could touch the device, "you are only approved to use this until you return from Texas, then it is to be relinquished and Que will analyze any data you provide on the weapon's performance."

Sideswipe was almost certain Rin was correct about Prowl having Que add some kind of device in order to spy on her. The thought made him want to beat the slagger's faceplates in. And if the bond was anything to go by, much of those feelings came from Sunny himself.

Rin responded with a crisp and civil, "Yes, sir" before accepting the weapon.

The blades folded in on themselves, making it impossible to accidently harm oneself while it was in a resting position. Que gently showed her how to mount the weapon on her right arm and she moved her wrist, feeling the weight and testing her mobility. Sideswipe could see the smallest of smirks appear through her otherwise professional demeanor. He watched as Que explained to Rin how to activate the energon blades, both with her free hand and by just manipulating her wrist. In a quick and graceful movement, the blades unfolded, extending back, out, and away from her arm. One tip of the curve was behind her elbow while the other went two feet out from of her hand, all extending half a foot away from her arm. The blade glowed blue along the edge where energon was activated.

Rin took a step back to gain some distance from the hoovering scientist as she moved her arm about, feeling how the weight affected her movements.

Que looked as ecstatic as he could be. "Wonderful! I have to say Ms. Brook, this weapon has been one of my favorite projects since I arrived on this planet. The design is brilliant and it was such a joy to make!"

Rin deactivated the weapon, watching the blades safely fold back in as the device crept closer to her arm. "It's great, Que, thank you for creating it." Regardless of the diplomatic response, Sideswipe had known Rin long enough to be able to tell when she was hiding her excitement, this was obviously such a case.

Sideswipe wished he could go with Rin to one of the training fields to allow her to test her new weapon, but they had little time left before wheels up.

Prowl interjected by clearing his vocalizer, "Specialist Brook, please come with me to sign some paperwork regarding the distribution of this weapon." He squared himself to the twins and authoritatively commanded, "You two should prepare for departure. You can meet Ms. Brook on the tarmac."

Sideswipe glanced over to Rin who nodded in return. She would be fine. He could feel a wave of anxiety from Sunny's side of the bond, but he said nothing. Instead, the yellow mech turned on his heels and marched out the blast doors, Sideswipe following close behind.

As soon as the doors closed behind them, Sunny turned towards his brother. "That fragger is just asking for a beating." He seethed.

As much as Sideswipe agreed with his twin, attacking a higher ranking officer would put them in the brig for weeks. If they were to act as character witnesses for Rin, they would have to act worthy of the part. Venting softy, Sideswipe sent calming waves over the bond. "Easy, Sunny-"

"Don't call me that!" he snapped, sounding harsher than usual.

Sideswipe flinched, surprised by his brother's intensity. He remained silent for a moment, allowing Sunny to ease himself down. It was only when the color of his optics finally returned to their normal shade did Sideswipe finally speak. "I care about her too, you know."

The yellow mech mentally backstepped. , his optics widening ever so slightly. "I don't know what you mean." He muttered, looking away.

"We can both agree we like Rin to some extent." He quickly explained. "Seeing her treated this way is frustrating, but getting angry about the situation won't help her."

"And what could we possibly do to help?" Sunny challenged. "What have we ever done to help!"

"We can stop fighting among ourselves and be there for her." He shot back, quickly silencing them both.

Sunny turned back towards the hallway, slowly stepping forward. "Come on, we have to get ready. Let's not keep the squishy waiting."

Sideswipe followed, the two of them marching in silence.

* * *

Erin once prided herself for staying calm in any situation. However, after a few months of living among the twins, that pride had been suffocated, burned, and shredded. There they were, on a military plane, no different from the ones they had used for travel before. After first stepping on, the mood had seemed oddly somber. Initially, she feared the twins were upset with her over her insistence on secrecy. However, after a few minutes, they seemed to fall back into their normal behaviors. Sunstreaker was checking his finish, Sideswipe was playing on a data pad, and Erin was attempting to study local maps.

Nothing was different or out of ordinary, except the deep internal panic Erin was feeling. She was fine when she agreed to join NEST and share a base with giant robots. She was willing to team up with them and eventually even felt able to call some of them friends. However, she had reached a whole new territory. Emotions were not her strong suit.

Of course, she'd felt attraction before, and she certainly wasn't a virgin. However, empathy was a trait she had spent little time training. Yet there she was, sitting between the two mechs, frantically thinking about however they might feel about her. Even worse, her detailed analyzing wasn't helping her to calm down as it normally did.

To further complicate things, the might actually care about the mechs, more than just as partners. At the very least, she felt she could somewhat trust and confide in them, as they had done with her. That complicated things. Her imagination certainly wasn't holding back either. She prayed that their sensitive scanners didn't pick up any of the signals she was certainly putting out. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't banish the thoughts their presence was bringing.

"Everything alright, sweetspark?"

Quickly, Erin schooled her features, trying to calm herself and her blushing face. "I'm fine, Sideswipe." She answered in an even tone while trying to look as if her focus was on the map.

He didn't seem convinced, "Your body temperature rose a bit, and your face looks reddish."

"The plane's just a bit warm. Nothing to worry about." It was true, the aircraft was rather hot with the lack of air-conditioning and being that it was flying directly under the sun. "Let's just go over the details, alright?" she motioned to the map, hoping to distract him with something productive.

"I'm just worried." He admitted in a gentle voice, making Erin want to jump out the plane. "I don't want you to get sick again." Only after suffocating her in his attention did he add a bit of levity, "Of course, if you did, I'm sure Sunny would feed you like last time." His tone remained light but Erin's face bloomed in the heat of her embarrassment.

She tried to burry he face deeper into the map and lost her ability to speak. Should she cut him down immediately? That could stop him, but it could also embolden him. Why wasn't Sunstreaker stopping him, he always at least pretended to be offended by his twin's flirtations with her.

"Hey, are you sure you're ok?" Sideswipe's concerned voice cut through her thoughts. Carefully, he placed a digit against her forehead, causing a tingling feeling to brush over her skin. "You really feel warm."

"It's nothing," she sighed, ducking out of the way. She felt frozen. Normally, she hardly had a problem with guys. If she was interested, they'd fuck. If not, she'd point a gun at their junk and they'd quickly get the message. This, however, was a bit different. Frustrated, she muttered to herself, "Fuck me."

Sideswipe responded in a throaty voice, "Is that an offer?"

Her face turned a painfully bright shade of pink. Taking a silent breath, she once again tried to calm her thoughts and answered in a monotone voice, "Sideswipe, I am fine. If you're bored, why don't you focus on something useful, like a strategy."

Something Erin couldn't identify flashed in the mech's optics before he leaned back against the wall of the plane, "Nah, I think I'll take a nap, it'll be a few hours 'till we get there anyway." He closed his optics and relaxed, but couldn't help but add loud enough for only her to hear, "I'm up for some cuddles, anytime, though."

Erin physically turned away from him and once again tried to focus on the map displayed on her data pad. The facility was massive, but only a few hallways were large enough for a cybertronian to fit. Not only did that limit their enemy's movements, but she could easily ambush from an adjacent corridor. It was just a matter of timing. In addition, there were only two places where the enemy might target. Both were surrounded by thick enough walls that the 'cons wouldn't be able to break through, at least not fast enough to avoid a response. One spot was where the main fusion reactor was held. It stood six stories high, with a massive network of scaffolding on the surrounding walls. The batteries at the base of the device were labeled as high priority, though Erin wasn't sure what their exact purpose was. The second room stored the supposedly 'stable' materials that come from the experimental reactor. Without getting into details, it had been explained how the reactor generates energy in a similar way that energon is harvested. Thus, the 'cons were likely looking for a way to create the more efficient fuel source for their own army.

As Erin continued to analyze the first room, and the adjacent double set of blast doors, she felt someone's optics focusing on her. Looking up, she saw Sunstreaker, glancing at her from the corner of his optics. Quickly, he looked back down to his thigh, which he was polishing with a rag.

With a inward sigh, she stood from where she was sitting, letting herself rock slightly with the plane, and abled over to Ironhide who was resting in his alt. She could only guess whether he was awake or not, but she at least wanted to try and speak with him, if at the very least to get some space from the twins.

Long spaces between conversations and other interactions were not uncommon for Erin, and the mechs seemed to understand, never pushing her to talk when she would rather train or even just read alone, yet they always seemed open when she finally approached. It was odd how welcoming he and the others could be, and she still had some trouble getting used to it. It wasn't like they were different from any other person she interacted with, but their lack of understanding for common customs left them with fewer expectations as to how she was meant to act. Ironhide, however, was a little different. Erin knew he had a greater understanding of humans than his compatriots, for the most part. And he always seemed open to Erin's company in particular. Rather than just operating off ignorance for social customs, he did so out of respect, something Erin greatly appreciated. Thus, he had not pried any further into her case with her teammates after their initial conversation, but she at least owed him an update.

"Ironhide?" she greeted quietly, still unsure whether he was awake at the moment.

His response was quietly opening his driver's side door, likely thinking along the same lines as Erin. She obliged, thinking in passing about how the twins always had her sit on their passenger side seat. She allowed him to close the door after she seated herself, chancing a glance at the twins who were both looking questioningly, if not worriedly, at the mech's alt.

"Anything in particular you want to talk about, kid?" he asked through the radio. He was giving her an option, that much was clear.

"I wanted to thank you," She muttered, hoping the twins' audios would not pick up her voice. "for not reporting Sunstreaker." She clarified.

"Well, knowing you, you would've jumped right into the brig with them to make a point." He replied gruffly, but Erin could hear gentleness in his tone. "They haven't caused you any more problems, have they?"

"No," she shook her head, "Sunstreaker actually apologized."

"By Primus." The old mech muttered. "At least he seems to have come to his senses."

The soldier couldn't help but notice something guarded in the weapon specialist's tone. She one again looked over to the twins, knowing they wouldn't be able to see her through the windows of the cab. "You know, don't you? About how they feel?"

She waited, listening as the silence stretched on. Eventually, the mech seemed to settle on his wheels. "I hoped I was fragin' imagining it."

She winced, understanding just what he was feeling. "Well, I only recently figured it out myself." She conceded.

"What are you going to do about it?" he asked in a business-serious voice.

Erin was uncharacteristically surprised by the black mech's frankness. "Do I have to do anything?" she asked.

He gruffly replied, "Inaction isn't your style."

"Well my style doesn't exactly fit in here." The soldier signed, allowing herself sink comfortably in the seat. "What they're thinking of is impossible. They're smart, do they had to have already realized this themselves."

"Not everyone is guided by logic as much as you are." Ironhide replied, making Erin feel oddly cold. "They act on their feelings, you know that. Sideswipe will get bold and Sunstreaker will get frustrated, more than they already have."

The problem was, Erin thought, emotions removed rationality from the equation. "Do you think addressing it will change anything?"

"Can't be sure." He responded matter-of-factly, then added, "But what do you feel about this whole thing?"

She leaned further back into the seat, letting her head rest and looked at the ceiling. "I don't know. I've been in this situation before, but never had friendship mixed in." Even the word, 'friendship', felt weird on her lips.

"I'd of thought a femme like you would put the mission before friendship." Ironhide shot back, the venomous words cooled by his sympathetic tone. Erin had a feeling he didn't really mean what he said.

'You make me sound so heartless." She replied casually, neither denying it or feeling offended.

"No, I'm just talking about how you've changed." He replied, adding quietly, "I'm proud of that."

She allowed herself to smile slightly at the steering wheel, not knowing quite what to say.

"Nevertheless," he continued, voice regaining its characteristic gruffness, "you need to do something."

"Well, avoiding them isn't an option." Erin replied. "And I don't want to break up our team." Ironhide hummed in agreement. "Talking it out is too unpredictable also."

"But you can never be sure what those two glitches will do to begin with," he added, "that's not a reason to avoid the issue."

"And if Sunstreaker got angry over my accusing him?" Erin responded, thinking back to the venomous words he shot towards her.

"Tell me honestly," Ironhide interrupted her thoughts, "do you think he will hurt you if you ask him? Because if the answer is 'yes', it's not work you being around him, and you should be reassigned to another team."

The thought of that stung Erin. She did not want that. She wanted to work with them and continue to develop whatever friendship they had, just not the way they were thinking. Unsure of the truth in her own words, she replied, "No, he wouldn't do that."

"Then why don't you talk it out? Maybe putting it in words would make them realized how fragged their thinking is?"

A hint of resentment leaked into the soldier's thoughts. Liking her wasn't that crazy. But logically, she understood what he meant. Still, this was a conversation she did not want to have. "What about something else to make them second guess this?" she suggested, "After all, they might just be curious. And whatever they are imagining probably isn't what reality would be like." In truth, Erin couldn't be sure what they were thinking of, she only really theorized their feelings were more intimate than what they were meant to have. Whether this was emotional, or physical, she couldn't possibly know. But she could guess that human and cybertronian relationships were vastly different.

"We could always have Ratchet give a lecturer on the subject." Ironhide recommended with a humorous tone. "It would either be so horrifying or graphic, neither glitch would look at a human the same way."

"I'm going to keep looking for answers but that it a good plan B." she conceded with an amused smirk.

"Well, I don't envy you. But why don't you think about this later." He recommended. "For now, just focus on the upcoming mission."

The mech was right, she couldn't allow herself to get into the wrong headspace before potentially coming into enemy fire, especially since her last interaction with an insecticon. There was only a few hours to go before landing, and this time she was going to be ready.


	32. Chapter 32

**Hello! This is a rather short chapter and it was originally part of a longer chapter, but I broke up the two. Thus, the next chapter is almost ready and will be posted soon!**

 **A special thanks to my wonderful reviewers; Teletraan, mary123ciel, Momochan77, Cinematronix, (Guest), THE Ellie, (Guest), .Princess, KayleeChiara, Anonymous, (Guest), SolusPrieLightblast, and ImpartingAbyss**

 **Enjoy!**

Erin carefully inspected the new weapon before her. She had carefully laid it on the solid ground within the temporary tent she and her human comrades were occupying while in Texas. It was rather cramped, but nothing she couldn't handle. They had just returned from the end of their guard shift so her fellow soldiers had yet to file in for lights out. She wanted time to check out her blade without prying eyes. She had already given it a fairly thorough inspection before, but in the flurry of activity since landing, she only had time to acknowledge its weight on her arm.

The moment they landed, all personnel moved out from the airstrip, convoy vehicles and autobots alike carrying gear across the highways until they reached their destination. The night shift guards started their rotation while Erin and the others set up camp. As soon as they were finished, it was their turn for guard duty. All was quiet during their shift, including little chatter from the twins. They seemed more focused than usual. It could have been due to the prospect of coming across an insecticon once again; even just one had devastating abilities. As their shift came to a close, Prowl took over, leaving Erin and the twins to eat and rest.

Erin glanced around the tent for any of her bunkmates. Twenty four men could fit in each tent, though they were nearly shoulder to shoulder. She had it better than the twins, however, whose cover could only fit their alt modes. Sunstreaker had complained in the past about how uncomfortable it was to recharge in alt form and apparently it wasn't entirely healthy either.

The soldier's mind continued to wonder to the twins as she felt along her new weapon, checking for where connections were and how they operated. It remained deactivated, she wouldn't turn on such a dangerous tool in a crowded area, but she could still admire parts of the blade. Though the designs were different, she could see where Sideswipe's own choice weapons inspired this new one.

Erin remembered when she first brought her weapon concept to the twins, to get their input. She had worked with dual edged blades before, and was hoping to adapt cybertronian designs into it. The original drawing closely resembled a haladie. Sideswipe was the one who recommended a wrist mount, rather than the back sheath she was considering. When she brought up concerns over safe storage, Sunstreaker was said she should have the blades fold in on themselves like Sideswipes'. After hours of discussion and drawing on Sunstreaker's data pad. They finally had a product to pitch to Que. When the scientist saw the designs, he was almost too excited. He and the twins went back and forth, discussing energon storage locations and output power. Erin tried her best to pay attention to the jargon, though she later had to ask Sideswipe to clarify some points. She had to admit, it was pretty fun working with the twins. And she was satisfied with the end result.

A part of Erin wanted to gather the twins and find a secluded spot to test out her new device, before she was required to return it to Prowl. But it was an inappropriate time. She and the twins had to focus solely on the mission at hand.

Setting the blade in a designated holding case, she settled down to get some sleep as her fellow soldiers began filing in for lights out. She cringed as the men clambered over her and each other to find their bunks, mere mats on the ground with inches between. The sound of starchy sheets being pulled around and gear hitting open spaces on the floor vibrated through Erin. The odd cough or mutter all seemed to be inches from her ear. The constant presence of others never left the forefront of her mind. She wouldn't be getting any sleep that night. But, at least she could give her body a moment to rest. She never fell asleep on the flight over so she had missed any chance at rest the night before and exhaustion weighed her down.

As minutes ticked by, her fellow soldiers began snore, the round racked Erin's ears. Suppressing a sigh, she turn over, trying to find a relatively comfortable position. She felt the half-thrown sheets of another soldier slide over her. Quietly, she tried to kick them off as the Texas summer heat baked the cramped space.

Erin tried to distract her mind with ambient thoughts but she could never shake the discomfort of having her back facing so many people. She'd dealt with conditions like this before, but in her defense it had been a while, and she never got much sleep in those situations either.

A foot brushed against her leg and Erin quickly reminded herself not to strike back. Glancing over her soldier, she saw her neighbor entirely asleep, sprawled across his bunk and half over hers. Erin moved to the very edge of her designated space, trying to avoid contact with anyone. She was left with only inches between her and the back of her other neighbor. It was going to be a long night.

Counting the minutes pass, Erin once again turned in an attempt to find comfort, but never reaching her goal.

A sharp 'pss' sound came from outside the tent. Focusing her hearing, she listened for the sound again. A familiar voice greeted her, "Pss! Rin, come out here."

Without putting much thought to it, Erin climbed out of her bunk and slowly made her way outside, trying to avoid stepping on anyone. When she made it out of the tent, a cooling sprinkle of rain welcomed her.

She was greeted by the sight of her two teammates, towering over her. Lights around the camp reflected on their armor, leaving them only half covered in shadow.

"What's up?" she asked sleepily, noticing how alert the mechs looked. In fact, they not only seemed lively, but worried. A panicked thought of an attack jolted across her mind but reason quickly quelled it. If there had been an invasion of any sort, the twins would have raised an alarm, not quietly come to her.

Sunstreaker looked away, his arms crossed. Sideswipe suddenly seemed to find his pedes rather interesting as he failed to give any kind of response. With a sigh, she stepped away from the tent and motioned for them to follow her. She could hear their steps as she led them to a thicker part in the forest.

She nodded to the camp guard they passed. For a moment, it appeared he would ask what she was doing up, but a quick glance towards Sunstreaker made him blanch and shut his jaws tight. Sometimes it helped to have a natural deterrent like him around.

When they finally gained enough space from everyone else for some privacy, she turned back towards the mechs, placed her hands on her hips, and looked at them expectantly. "Well?"

The twins looked at each other for a brief moment before turning back towards her. Sideswipe kneeled down to shorten the distance between them. "Well," he parroted, "we were wondering… if you were… recharging well?" the silver mech wouldn't look at her in the eye.

Exhausted, Erin made no attempt to hide her irritation. "So you got me out of bed, to see if I was sleeping?"

"Primus." Sunstreaker muttered, pushing his brother out of the way. "Just give her a straight answer." He turned his attention to Erin, quickly looking her over. "This fragger over here," he nodded towards Sideswipe, "assumed you wouldn't be getting any rest with all those males around. So, he wanted to offer… other accommodations."

"We know you can be on edge when trying to recharge," Sideswipe added, "so _we_ thought we could help."

A mix of annoyance and shame crossed Erin's mind. They were right, after all. She'd never fall asleep like that. But Sunstreaker was being rather assumptive. Focusing on him, she shot back, "This is not a slumber party, we are at work, resting between shifts. Who gives a damn whether I'm stuck with a bunch of men or not?"

Sideswipe quietly stated, "Well, it's not exactly safe-"

Before he could finish that thought, Erin raised her hand, effectively cutting him off. "Really? Do you honestly think I can't look after myself?"

The silver mech quickly shook his head, "We don't think that!" He added, "But why do you have to be the only one who cares about your wellbeing?"

Erin's retort was caught in her throat. She didn't want to argue with them. "Look, Sideswipe," she replied in as soothing a tone as she could manage, "I really am fine. I understand you're concerned for me, but you don't have to be." Taking a breath, she conceded, "Yes, you're right that I can't sleep well there, but I can deal with one lousy night."

Sideswipe looked down. "I know you can take care of yourself, Rin. I didn't mean to insinuate otherwise. Honestly, _I_ would feel more comfortable knowing you are resting safely."

"Sides, I'm a soldier, and your teammate, not your charge. I've always been able to look after myself." Adding a bit of lightness, she continued, "Besides, if I can manage around you two, I can take a few human guys."

"Right." Sideswipe's optics darted around nervously.

Erin looked at him questioningly, then realized how he must have taken her words. A shot of embarrassment coursed through her, she didn't mean to refer to their intimate intentions. Pulling her thoughts away from that blunder, she looked up at the sky. The sputtering of rain had ceased and Erin could see stars dotting the sky between the breaking blackness of the clouds. "Since we're already out here, I may actually stay out." Glancing over to Sunstreaker, she knew no one would dare question her with him around. They wouldn't even approach.

Sideswipe seemed to perk up. "Would you mind if we stayed with you?" He asked with the hope of a child about to get his way.

Thinking for a second, Erin asked him, "Won't Ironhide assume you're up to no good when we finds out you're gone?"

"Let him get his tailpipe in twist." Sunstreaker shrugged, showing no concern over whatever abusive words the mech would throw their way.

"Alright," she settled down against a tree, feeling for where the thick roots could best support her, "you win, I'm out of the tent." Luckily, there hadn't been enough rain to leach into the soil, giving her a fairly dry spot to rest.

Both mechs compacted into their alt modes. Sideswipe, however, opened his passenger side door. "Rin, why don't you recharge with me, I can help keep you cool."

It was true that even at night the heat was blistering. Of course, Diego Garcia was no Antarctic, but the air conditioning kept the edge off during the hottest months. Erin knew she shouldn't indulge him, but, acting against logic, she simply nodded her head tiredly and climbed in. He closed the door behind her as she curled up in the seat which leaned far back enough to almost make a bed. The white comforter he always carried was neatly folded in his driver's side seat. Gratefully, she took it and wrapped the soft fabric around her as cool air blew around her. "Thanks Sides." She yawned.

"That's twice now you've called me that." The mech nearly whispered.

Having never realized her slip, she quickly apologized. "Oh, sorry."

"No, it's ok." Sideswipe said smoothly, "I like it, actually."

"Well," Erin state, not sure what to say next, "goodnight."

"Goodnight sweetspark."


	33. Chapter 33

**Hello Dear Readers! Here is another chapter for you! I hope you find it exciting. Feel free to comment whether you like more action, drama, smut, or a healthy mix of the three.**

 **Thank you to my wonderful reviewers; (Guest) and KayleeChiara! I know the last update was short, but thank you for sharing your thoughts! We are almost at 200 reviews!**

Chapter 33

Erin woke to a loud horn billowing a short distance away. Initially, she scanned her surroundings, but all was secure. It had to be, she was safely inside Sideswipe's cab. The blanket had fallen to her lap, tangling with her legs. She couldn't see anything outside the cab, as all the windshields were completely dark.

Under her, she could feel Sideswipe shift ever so slightly, and the faintest hum that showed him to be alive picked up as he regained consciousness. Slowly, the windshields began to lighten, revealing the clearing where they slept and men moving about beyond the trees.

Blinking slowly, she stretched, her hands feeling the roof of Sideswipe's cab.

Said mech's voice came to life over the radio. "Good morning, sweetspark." Though his smile was not visible, it was clearly audible.

Ever so slightly, Erin began to blanch. She knew she was leading him on, in a way. But she did feel incredibly well rested, and that would technically benefit both her and their team. Still, she felt guilt and embarrassment churning in her belly.

"Morning, Sideswipe." She muttered.

Whatever the mech was going to say next was interrupted by what Erin could only see as a giant pair of legs approaching. She recognized Wheeljack stop just short of the twins. Sunstreaker quickly transformed and faced the mech.

"Need something?" he asked roughly, crossing his arms.

The older scarred mech shook his helm. "Ironhide noticed you missing and thought you two were up to no good."

The yellow 'bot took a short step forward. "Why don't you tell Ironaft to mind his own fraggin' business? Besides, do you really think would do anything risky now? Here?" Despite his demeanor, Sunstreaker had a point. Though at times they could be less than responsible, when lives were at stake the twins had the tendency to get their priorities in order.

The white warrior was unfazed. "Save it for the insecticon, Sunstreaker." He waved the younger mech's aggression off. "Just what were you doing out here anyway?"

Erin could not see the former gladiator's faceplates, but she could imagine the challenge in his light blue optics. His voice was low and oddly defensive. "It was crowded, so we moved for some extra space to recharge. Is there a problem with that?"

Wheeljack didn't reply. Instead, he glanced down to Sideswipe's alt mode, his optics zeroing in on Erin before lighting with surprise. "Specialist Brook?"

Erin cringed, having hoped Sideswipe would have had the foresight to darken his windshield again to conceal her. Instead, she pushed the blanket off her and climbed out of Sideswipe's cab. The mech quickly transformed behind her, holding the comforter in his servo a moment before tucking it into his subspace.

Wheeljack gave her a confused, even concerned, glance before switching his attention to the twins. He spoke in the familiar clicking and whirring of Cybertronian. Luckily, the dialect was Tarnian, so she could understand some of what he said. The first statement was difficult, but the word 'frag' was included twice.

Sunstreaker quickly responded, using the same dialect, but in what Erin had always assumed to be an accent. She could understand the second half of what he said, _"None of your fragging business, rust-sucker."_

Wheeljack straightened himself, his patience waning. _"… recharging… human."_ The bits and pieces Erin could understand spelled out enough of what this argument was about. Wheeljack wanted to know why Erin was sleeping with the twins, and they were being defensive.

The white and yellow mech's voices were getting louder as they stood only feet from the each other, challenge sparking in their optics. Erin lost track of whatever they were saying as Sideswipe quickly stepped alongside his brother, joining the argument against the senior mech.

Seeing that things were about to come to blows, Erin stepped forward and raised her voice, "Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, step back!" Both mech's shot their optics towards her and she took the opportunity to step in front of them and face Wheeljack who took a massive step back to give her room.

"Wheeljack, yes, we were not in our designated areas last night, but it was my fault, not theirs." She explained quickly and firmly, meeting his optics with a direct glare.

He blinked in surprise. "You understood what we were saying?"

"I got enough to tell these two," she motioned her head towards the twins, "would rather be argumentative than give a straight answer." Continuing, she said, "The truth is that I held them up so we could study the interior maps we were provided. By the time we finished, everyone else was recharging. Rather than wake the others while going back to our berths, we stayed out here. It was my idea." She added somewhat challengingly, "If you have a problem with that, feel free to report us to Prowl."

Wheeljack regarded her for a moment before sighing. "There's no problem, kiddo. But you should get ready, our shift starts soon." The mech then gave one last glance towards the twins before turning away and returning to the camp.

After making sure he was out of audioshot, she turned towards the twins. They didn't challenge her lie, but she could tell they seemed upset. Erin did not regret it, though. The other autobots never seemed to trust the twins, so she'd rather take the fall for something so minor than deal with any suspicion against them.

She gave them a look which meant 'drop it' and stepped towards the camp, hearing the mechs' pede steps behind her. They went their separate ways, each getting their respective food/fuel and gearing up for the next shift.

While getting ready, Erin caught Ironhide eyeing her with a mixture of concern and disapproval. Wheeljack must have told him how he found her and the twins. She briefly wondered whether the white mech held the same suspicions the weapon specialist had. She knew she shouldn't have indulged Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, but she was just acting in a way that felt right to her, and what was wrong with that?

Erin met back with the twins during the morning debriefing. There, they learned that there was no suspicious activity since their arrival and energon sensors around the perimeter had yet to be set off. The trio made their way to the interior of the energy facility. Erin had already picked out the best patrol route- with approval- which gave them quick access to the two potential targets of any raid. If the insecticon were to come, she suspected he would most likely strike the storage vault, since the materials would be easier for a creature like that to scent, according to Sunstreaker.

Once again, during their patrol, the twins seemed uncharacteristically on task. They remained in pace with her, glancing around for any signs of movement. She heard them report over the open comms in a professional, non-antagonizing manner. Even their optics stayed bright, signaling that neither of them were chatting over their bond or searching the internet.

Oddly enough, Erin found herself to be the one who was growing impatient. She felt as if she was out of the loop on something and it made her uncomfortable. Not that the twins owed her any type of explanation, of course.

They consumed their meals within the halls, not leaving their posts. Even that was done in silence. That awkward, uncomfortable feeling Erin held had only been growing. Something was off, and she felt determined to figure out what it was.

Staring at the half eaten sandwich in her hand, she casually asked, "Is everything alright? You guys seem quiet today."

The mechs glanced at each other before turning to her. Sunstreaker scowled. "What do you mean, squishy? Isn't this what you want while we're working?"

She looked the two of them up and down. "But this morning you were unusually tamed as well. Sideswipe, you're never this quiet. And Sunstreaker, you didn't even polish yourself today." She quickly backtracked, raising her hands instinctively. "Not that you look bad" she added quickly, "it's just uncharacteristic."

The yellow mech, however, didn't erupt on her for the comment. Instead, he briefly glanced down at his frame and crossed his arms over his chassis, showing his discomfort.

The prickles of irritation from embarrassment and confusion erupted into a scathing sensation. Finally, she snapped, jumping to her feet and pointing an accusing finger at the mechs. "I never asked for you guys to act differently! Just tell me what's wrong." All focus on the mission was lost, her primary objective had become the twins. "Why are you guys keeping me out?" she added weakly. "First, you wake me in the middle of the night, then you are quiet all day today. I know something's up."

Sideswipe straightened himself, looking at her square in the eye. " _We_ aren't the ones keeping _you_ out." His tone was void of his normal lightsparked demeanor.

Erin flinched. "Is this about how I won't tell you who I think the spy is?"

"No." Sunstreaker replied coolly, giving his twin a harsh glare.

"It does bother us," Sideswipe elaborated, sounding more subdued, "this is a risky situation for you and we want to make sure you're ok." His optics grew apologetic. "I didn't mean to snap, Rin, we know you have your reasons for keeping this to yourself. In truth we just thought acting more… professionally, would make things easier on you."

Shoulder's slumping, Erin glared at the two before her. "There is absolutely no reason for you to do that." Though, it explained why Sideswipe was so adamant about her not sleeping in the tent. Everyone seemed like a threat to them at the moment. They were trying to protect her from whomever she would name as a suspect.

Sunstreaker opened his mouth for what would surely be a biting retort, but he was cut off by a distant popping sound. The trio lifted their heads in unison, listening as a voice came on over the comms.

:Attack near the north entrance! It's not a-: Wheeljack's voice was quickly cut off as the symphony of battle erupted, echoing down the halls.

Erin braced. Instinct told her to run to the aid of her companions, but the three of them were the last line of defense. If the cons got the facility's materials in their servos, they would become dangerously more capable. And with greater resources, there were increased changes of further recruitment from whatever far reaches the war's survivors had ended up. The soldier dropped her meal and looked over to the twins, a question in her eyes, 'How was Wheeljack?'

Sideswipe answered, "His comm's down. He's probably been hurt."

The distant popping sounds morphed into more recognizable gunfire as the cries of combatting men become audible. The battle was nearing.

Erin motioned with her head for the mechs to follow, they knew where the enemy was approaching from, so they had the advantage to set up an ambush. Erin headed towards a corridor too small for the mechs to fit. The insecticon would scent her easily and she didn't want to alert it to the presence of her partners. Just on the other side of the hall, the twins stood in wait, out of sight, their optics glowing nearly white.

Over the shared comms, Ironhide's voice came up, :Retreat! All forces pull back! Factory guards,: he addressed the trio, :exit through the south side immediately! He's at the north entrance!:

The sound of tearing metal alerted them to a breach in the facility. The con was inside.

Erin glanced at the twins, and saw determination in their optics, surely reflecting her own. They had their orders, but they knew what it would mean if the cons got hold of the facility's materials. Besides, they had taken on three insecticons before, they knew how to handle one. Erin would get behind it, taking advantage of its wide shoulders in the comparatively narrow halls. She could use her new blade to slice at its ankles, aiming for sensitive, yet vital components. She would quickly get out of the way as Sunstreaker got low and attacked just below the chassis, knocking it off balance. Then, Sideswipe would swing around and stab his blades through the top of its shoulders, aiming for the energon lines that bring vital lifeblood to its helm.

All gunfire ceased as steady pedesteps echoed down the hallway. Erin listened closely, judging the distance of their target. No matter which direction it was headed, the insecticon had to cross through that hallway.

Something sounded off about the timing and intensity of each step. She had listened to the twins walk through the hallway and knew how the insecticon's steps would sound in comparison. It was a lumbering beast, but the sound she heard was more controlled.

Erin dropped to the ground, placing her ear against the cold floor, and raised a fist to catch the twin's attention. Something was wrong. She listened and felt the vibration. Whatever was coming was heavy, more so than the insecticon should have been. Her eyes widened, this was not the insecticon. She looked up to the twins, quickly signing to them ' _wrong target_ '.

The being was nearly upon them, it was too late to retreat. Sunstreaker raised his servo, signing ' _analyze_ ' to her. There would be a short moment between the con passing her and coming upon the twins, she would only have those precious seconds to see what they were facing.

She heard the con turn the corner into the hall where they were hiding adjacently. Suddenly, the rhythm of steps ceased and in a single moment, she heard a pair of pedes at the other end of the hallway, between her and the twins. Erin turned, staring in horror at the massive being that just appeared. There was a displacement of air that blew loose strands of her hair back.

Shock nearly overcame her objective but she forced herself to focus. _Tall, forty five feet at least, had to crouch in order to avoid the ceiling. A pair of protrusions from the back appeared to be wings folded over themselves; this was a seeker. Even with the wings being compacted, they nearly spanned the entire width of the hallway, so mobility was limited. The legs were thick, built solid like Sunstreaker's, there would be little to no weakness there. The chassis was also heavily armored as well as the back. Thinnest part was the arms which had exposed circuitry around the joints._ Then she noticed the scent. It was coppery and familiar.

The green seeker turned, only a moment passed before its optics landed on Erin.

"Oh, another one." He stated, a terrifyingly delighted smile spanned his faceplates.

Something dropped from one of his servos, hitting the ground like a metal boulder, but Erin did not let her vision drop from the target. Without any warning, he disappeared. Then, she felt a rush of air directly behind her. It wasn't until then did she see the twins leave their hiding spot, barely having enough time to stand since the infiltrator appeared. She saw the panicked look on their faceplates. This was not the fight they were expecting.

Erin whipped around to the source of the breeze and saw a massive servo, already engulfing her. The grip around her entire body was like a vice, she could barely breathe. Something hot soaked her clothes and rubbed against her skin. She knew what this was. The servo was coated in blood. A wave of nausea hit her as she felt herself being lifted high in the air. Metal shifting around her led the soldier to finding herself face to faceplates with the most deranged grin she'd ever seen.

The seeker chuckled loudly, the sound vibrating through Erin's bones. "These things are so much fun to play with."

Acting on instinct, Erin found enough leverage to unsheathe her weapon. She'd only have one shot to prevent the increasing pressure from crushing her. Bracing herself, she activated the energon blade and sliced at the top digit that rested over her shoulder. The seeker raised it just enough for Erin to squeeze out of his grip. Not allowing him time to react, Erin launched herself at the mech's faceplates, aiming a stabbing blow for the corner of an optic. She felt metal give way as energon coated her weapon.

Knowing a servo was likely aimed for her, she kicked herself back and out of the way, falling fast. For a moment, her heart seemed to stop, but before she could even take a breath, she was cradled against a silver chassis. A flash of yellow passed as Sunstreaker rammed himself against the seeker's green legs. It was just enough force to make him take a step back.

Sideswipe wheeled back, out of reaching distance as Sunstreaker quickly followed. Without a moment to spare, Erin blurted out, "He's too big for the hallway and his arms are the weakest point."

After the moment of shock faded away, Sideswipe smiled over her. "It's about time we take on another seeker."

Out of the corner of her eye, Erin saw the metal object that the decepticon had dropped. It was the helm of Wheeljack, his optics half opened.

The green mech stood, his helm tilted to the side so as to not hit the ceiling, holding a servo up to his damaged optic. He laughed, digits curling tight around the injured area as if to extract even more pain. "I like this one. I want to keep it." He stated, smiling down at her.

Erin shivered in Sideswipe's arms as the mech took a defensive step back. "Sweetspark," he whispered, "you should hang back, we have experience with his kind."

Narrowing her eyes, she shakily answered back, "You know I won't."

The silver mech gently placed her down, sighing, "I know, but it was worth a try."

No one in the party took eyes or optics off the con as he laughed to himself.

"Sideswipe." Erin caught the mech's attention long enough to sign, :Distract:.

Her partner nodded as he and his brother slowly inched around the hall, trying to find the most advantageous angle. Erin moved behind Sunstreaker, hoping to lose the seeker's attention. Then, after the mech's made their move, she could follow up unseen.

"So," Sideswipe started, "what's a nice big mech such as yourself doing here?"

The green seeker perked, "Oh, Shockwave asked me to pick up these battery things." He pointed down past the three Team Prime members to the end of the hall, "They're supposed to be that way, have you seen them?" The deranged mech seemed to actually be attentive in this conversation, his previous attack completely forgotten.

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker glanced at each other before the silver front liner continued, "No, we haven't seen them."

"Oh, too bad. I guess I'll have to offline you, then. I'm Skywarp by the way, can you guess why?" the mech disappeared and Erin felt the telltale displacement of air behind her. Whipping around, she found herself before the seeker who crouched low with a servo reaching for her. "I can warp now!" he said in elation.

Erin rolled back before she could be grabbed again as Sunstreaker kicked the servo away and brought his elbow down on the green mech's lowered helm.

The seeker only lost balance for a moment before standing tall again, but he hit his own helm on the ceiling, causing chunks to break and hit his shoulders. He brushed the dust off, casually.

Sideswipe tried to take advantage of the distraction to strike at the mech, but his blades hardly pierced the con's thick armor. The green mech quickly disappeared then reappeared behind Sideswipe, grabbing him easily.

"Or," the seeker added, "how about I take you to Shockwave? He needs another pair of twins for his work."

With his back turned towards her, Erin took the moment to snap her fingers to get Sunstreaker's attention. He reluctantly tore his optics from his brother for a mere moment, only to see what Erin had planned. She signed to him, :Boost, arm: and pointed to herself.

The yellow mech nodded and picked her up, holding her in one servo as he launched an attack, free servo transforming into a cannon. He used the bend in the seeker's leg as a launching point to jump up and wrap his arms around the con's neck. Erin felt herself thrust onto a broad green shoulder. Using one hand for balance as the mechs thrashed about, she readied her weapon and found a seam just large enough for her blade. With a hard thrust, she jammed it in and felt the internal circuitry give way. Releasing her grip on the mech, she use her hand to activate the extending function on the blade, causing it to dig deeper into the mech's shoulder.

The seeker howled in pain as his arm dropped, giving Sideswipe his freedom. As the con staggered, Erin lost her balance and fell down the mech's front, her arms desperately reaching for something to steady herself. Instead, she once again found herself in Sideswipe's arms. He smiled briefly at her as he wheeled back. Erin could hear shots from Sunstreaker's cannon but there seemed to be little affect on the con.

Looking up, Erin saw Skywarp reach around and grab Sunstreaker with his remaining arm and pry the mech off him. Sideswipe quickly dropped Erin on the ground and slid to his brother's rescue, aiming for the mech's vulnerable faceplates with his blades. He managed to slice into the blinded side but the seeker seemed hardly phased, throwing Sunstreaker against Sideswipe, causing both of them to tumble over the ground.

Erin glanced between her mechs and the enemy. He was injured and leaking, but his stamina didn't waver. The twins, on the other hand, were already covered in dents and venting heavily. Hitting Skywarp with random attacks wouldn't help anybody. They needed to regroup. "Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, fall back to location 1!"

The mechs glanced over to her, their optics screaming 'no retreat', but they quickly came to their senses and headed towards her. Sideswipe scooped her up and transformed around her. Each millisecond of that weightless feeling seemed to extend on before the silver mech hit the ground, wheels already turning.

Taking advantage of the seeker's large size, they were able to quickly lose him as he struggled to keep up in the narrow halls. Suddenly, he was directly behind them again, warping with a servo outstretched. The twins managed to skid out of the way and around another corner. Just as they reached the end of that hallway, the seeker once again warped behind them.

"Turn left!" Erin commanded, recalling her study of the maps. "Right, now!" she called again. "Back on the main path." She added. The twins followed her orders, taking one more turn to come across the blast doors that led to the fusion chamber. Erin jumped out of Sideswipe's alt before he could fully stop and she ran to the control panel. "Sideswipe, can you get us in?" she asked him, hearing the approaching steps of the seeker. It was only a matter of moments before he turned the corner and was within firing range.

Without a word, the silver mech kneeled down as wires extended from his digits, clasping onto the panel. Within moments, red lights flashed and an alarm sounded. The doors creaked open slowly at first but Sunstreaker quickly jammed his arm in and pushed them to move faster. Finally, they could use the secure room as a base. Before the seeker turned the corner, they had closed the first set of blast doors, leaving them in a decontamination room that led into the fusion chamber. Not taking any chances, Erin decided to retreat further to their main objective; thus allowing them to better protect it and themselves. As the second set of doors closed, Erin could hear banging beyond their shelter, as well as the hard pinging of gunfire. Hopefully, the walls were thick enough to dissuade an immediate breech. However, they wouldn't hold out for long. There were protective covers around the edges of the doorways, but they were still weaker than the doors themselves. Once the con realized this, it would only be a manner of time before he made it through.

Erin only had a second to take a breath before her mind went to work, trying to figure a way out of their situation. They could be rescued by whomever survived outside, but they might not have the firepower to take on the unhinged seeker. There were no other exits so a fight was the only option. The soldier looked around her surroundings. The ceilings were high, with enough room for even Skywarp to fully stand. At the center was a spiraling metal mass, the fusion generator, which sat powered down. At the base were what Erin assumed to be the batteries. They were encased in acrylic with toxin warnings in clear view. While they had been assured that this entire plant should be safe for humans to walk around without biohazard gear, it was still in an experimental stage and nothing was guaranteed. The thought of it made Erin nervous.

Continuing her search, she looked up at the scaffolding that encompassed all of the rounded walls of the room, minus the door way. Bridges extended from these ledges out to the fusion generator every few stories. Sunstreaker had to duck under them as he walked further into the room. And near the ceiling, was ductwork. The vents appeared to be large enough to fit a human, at least when crawling. Erin could use them to escape, but that would mean leaving the twins behind.

She looked over at them, as their optics glanced between the door and their surroundings, doing their own appraisal of the room. Her duty was not to protect the twins and logic told her to escape and report all events to Prowl directly, but she couldn't will herself to do it. She would stay and fight alongside them.

Instead, she pulled out her data pad to activate her comm link with Prowl. The mech's crisp voice was immediately heard through the ear piece, 'Specialist Brook, where are you and the twins?'

"We came across the enemy, and are barricaded in the fusion chamber, requesting reinforcements." She replied.

'Why didn't you follow the order to retreat!' the Second in Command's voice sounded strained with what Erin guessed was a mixture of frustration and worry.

"We didn't make it out on time," she made up quickly, "are you able to offer support?"

'Backup is fifteen minutes out, do you think you can hold out until then?'

If N.E.S.T had to bring in outside forces, even soldiers who were not privy to their secrets, then the scene outside must have been worse than she thought. "I don't think so, how many hostiles are out there?"

'A seeker, who entered the facility, an insecticon, and three dozen human forces, Mech.'

Erin's eyes widened and the looked at the equally shocked faceplates of the twins, Mech and the cons were in league. "Understood, sir. We'll try to last till back up arrives."

'Good luck, soldier.'

Erin closed the comm link, frustration rising. Of course Mech was involved with this. Did they know the autobots would be there? Or were they after the batteries as well? If it was the former, that would mean someone had informed them, and it couldn't have been Adam. That would make her even more of a suspect. Yet, she had an alibi planned. Once she received her new weapon, she never let it leave her side, at least until they were on the plane; trusting Prowl put some kind of surveillance hardware on it. Therefore, he would know she hadn't contacted anyone with vital secrets.

But there was no time to worry about that, she could hear the seeker working at the door and it was likely they wouldn't last fifteen more minutes, let alone the time it would take for the 'bots to actually retake the facility. She had to focus her thoughts on the enemy before her.

There had to be a reason Skywarp didn't just use his abilities to warp in and out of the facility. Was his skill, in fact, not warping but some kind of speed power? No, Erin dismissed the thought. She would have felt the resulting draft, and the seeker showed no sign of entering or exiting a running position. The displacement of air she experienced was unique. If he warped, wouldn't it make her think of something spontaneously expanding, pushing everything else out of the way? But this wasn't what she felt. Instead, it seemed as if the natural airflow faced a violent change in direction by a new object suddenly appearing in the space. This was intensified by the lack of barrier where he originated. Meaning, his warping ability caused him to enter inside a space, rather than push his way into one. This difference was small, yet significant. If that was the case, the seeker may have some weaknesses with this warping ability. Perhaps he only warped where he could see. That would explain why he didn't warp around the corner during the hallway chase, only from one end straight to the other. There was a chance he did this to avoid any obstacles. Perhaps he would get stuck somewhere if he didn't know where he was warping. Or, he couldn't warp through certain objects. If his ability pushed him through spaces, he'd basically explode out of said object. But if his form appeared both inside and throughout a space, his body would become integrated into the object. Erin had no idea how just warping through air must affect the mech, but it would explain his odd mannerisms. As if warping was affecting his processor by constantly bombarding it with molecules from the air, wearing him down. If so, his internal circuitry may be just as damaged, explaining the need for such thick armor, to protect what he had left.

The soldier thought to herself, _We don't have the space or firepower for a direct assault, but we may be able to turn his abilities into a weakness._ Not taking any chances of being overheard, Erin began signing. :Plan, distract and trick.:

:How?: Sunstreaker responded

:Sideswipe, lead away. Enemy see: using their own alphabet, she spelled, :i.n.s.i.d.e:, then switching back to full words, added, :ten minutes, set trap: she pointed to the scaffolding around them and spelled out :c.u.t o.p.e.n s.p.a.c.e.s,: then, :Sideswipe lead enemy back, no see i.n.s.i.d.e, w.a.r.p i.n trap.:

The yellow mech eyed her hard, she was asking his brother to risk both their lives. :You sure?: he asked.

The fact was that she wasn't. The entire plan depended on her theory being true. It was also likely the seeker chose the hard way in to entertain his sick mind. For all she knew, he could get bored and suddenly warp into the room at any moment. Nevertheless, there was little else they could do. Erin nodded and looked questioningly at Sideswipe, the message was clear, was he ready for this danger?

The silver mech stood confidently. There wasn't any time left to argue, they needed to enact her plan as soon as possible. They would have to hope the seeker being half blinded and partially lame would give the former gladiator enough of an edge to stay online.

Sideswipe went over to the interior panel, activating it. The first set of doors opened and the mech silently pointed at two buttons, one for closing each door. They would have to get the timing perfect. She would have to start closing the doors before Sideswipe opened the other set, there had to be enough time for the seeker to see inside the fusion chamber. And Sideswipe would need to find a way to escape past Skywarp.

Sideswipe turned and looked at both his brother and Erin, nodding to each in turn. Taking a nervous breath, Erin pressed the button to close the doors. Within a second, Sideswipe started opening the second one, darting to hide against a wall until the last possible moment. As one opened and the other closed, Erin saw the seeker's red optics, looming high up. She braced herself, ready for him to warp inside, past Sideswipe. But just as the seeker's grin grew triumphantly, Sideswipe skidded around, and jumped, reaching an arm up to flick the seeker on the nasal plate and swerve around him.

"I didn't know seekers could be so slow!" the silver mech taunted.

The green con did his best to turn around in the cramped space. "I'll enjoy tearing you apart first!" he spat with both excitement and venom. Giving chase, the seeker clumsily tried to navigate the hallways, impeded by his size.

Erin waited until she was sure they were far enough away to turn to Sunstreaker. "I'm going to cut the supports for the scaffolding. You bring it down so it stretches across the room."

Without waiting for a response, Erin climbed the stairs and aimed her blade for wherever metal bolts held the structure to the wall. Each cut was effortless with such a weapon, but time was not on their side and she had a lot of work to do. Deciding not to cut every bolt, she went for every other, hoping that would provide enough give for Sunstreaker to pull the structure down. While they worked, blaster fire and the sounds of metal on metal echoed down the hall.

"He's fine." Sunstreaker called to her, having obviously seen the worry in her eyes.

It was terrifying, being the one to decide to put Sideswipe at risk, in fact, both were in danger. She didn't want to think of what would happen should the seeker catch Sideswipe.

As the structure below her feet began to wobble, Erin felt a sensation of vertigo. "Is that enough?" she asked her yellow teammate while beginning her descent.

Said mech started pulling on the scaffolding, the metal in his grip crushing under the pressure. Just as Erin hit the ground, it began to give way, creaking towards the center of the room. A chunk, still attached to the wall, broke away from the mass, while most of the metal began to crumble under the unsupported weight. When Sunstreaker had finally lowered the metal structure, it leaned against the core of the room, covering half of the once open space. Sunstreaker hurried across the room to pull down some pieces of metal that still clung to their original position. Before he finished, Erin activated her comm, "Sideswipe!" she called, "Get your aft back in here."

By the time Sunstreaker finished laying out the trap, Sideswipe's roaring engine was clearly audible.

Erin stood ready at the door. She had to time it just right for Sideswipe to enter without the seeker seeing the new layout of the room. Blinking her eyes closed, she listened, knowing the mech's speed and pattern of movements by heart and combining that with her memory of how quickly the massive blast doors closed, she prepared for what might be the one action that separates them from either death or success.

Finally, she found the right moment, and slammed her fist on the button. A flash of silver burst past the closing passageway, which sealed a second later. Sideswipe nearly crashed into the litter of metal bars and staircases before he abruptly stopped. Erin stood against the wall, ready to attack wherever the seeker appeared. The twins got ready as well, optics trained on what was once the open space large enough for the con.

Then, as the seeker's footsteps stopped right outside the door, nothing happened. He didn't try to tear open the door, nor did he warp inside. Not wanting to be caught off guard, Erin stayed ready, senses alert for anything that spelled danger. Then, she realized something. If the seeker needed to see a room in order to avoid getting stuck his surroundings, he would need to see any people in there as well.

Taking a shaky breath, she called to the twins, "Don't let your guard down."

In turn, they looked at her, confused. Erin responded by motioning with her hands for them to speak. Sideswipe was the first to realize what she was saying, responding with, "Alright." Sunstreaker followed suit, giving a quick but clear, "K."

A massive displacement of air preceded a bloodcurdling scream. Erin saw the seeker, entirely impaled by the scaffolding. The largest chunk, which leaned high against the fusion reactor, was stuck throughout the mech's abdomen. Energon flowed freely from wounds there, as well as both legs and one arm. The seeker collapsed on the ground, moaning with immense pain.

Not waiting a moment, the twins attacked, aiming for the openings in the seeker's armor left by the trap. None of the wounds were deadly, meaning they had to open them enough for the seeker to slowly leak out. The green con tried thrashing at his opponents, but that only seemed to worsen his agony.

Erin, seeing a strong likelihood of being crushed, pulled out her pistol and took aim for the still open optic wound. Her shot opened a new flow of energon while the twins continued to dig furiously at the seeker's armor, taking him apart piece by piece.

Eventually, the green body started to convulse as too much energon was spilt and the light from the seeker's optics faded away.

There was a moment of pause where the trio processed what they had just done, feeling the gruesome death on their hands and servos. Erin dropped to her knees, legs too shaky to hold herself up. The twins slouched, their fans roaring, vents loud. The white from their optics began to darken into their respective blue tones. No one said anything to the other, but all cast glances around, appraising their teammates' conditions. No one seemed seriously injured, but Erin's heart couldn't stop beating franticly.

Buzzing to life, Prowl's voice took over her comm link, "Reinforcements have arrived," he announced, "we're going to aim for the facility. What's your status?"

The soldier found it interesting how to mech started with good news, as if convincing himself that there was hope and the three Team Prime members hadn't already been eviscerated. Erin answered, "The internal threat has been offlined." She should have offered to join the counter assault, but the three of them were too mentally and physically drained to be of any use. They'd watched their comrade's helm roll across the floor, seen and even been smeared with the blood of their allies, and risked losing each other for the chance to survive to the next day, all while staring into delighted, crazed optics.

Distantly, Erin heard the distinctive popping noises of gunfire. The soldier closed her eyes as her anxiety rose. It wasn't right, it was too much for her. She'd never been trained to fight such creatures, at least not substantially, in her mind. She didn't belong there. And there was something distinctly wrong with how she felt. Her duty should have been self-preservation once the mission went south, but she failed at that. Instead, she risked herself for the sake of the twins, beings who weren't even human. Yet, the thought of losing them seemed immeasurable.

"I don't think I can keep doing this." Ern muttered to herself aloud.

She heard shifting metal, as if the twins had both flintched.

"What was that?" Sunstreaker snarled behind her. The soldier could hear him moving behind her. After she refused to answer, he pushed on, "Just what the frag do you mean by that, squishy?" His fists audibly clenched. Erin turned her head to see not anger, but frustration in his optics.

"Sunny." Sideswipe tried to placate his brother with a servo on the shoulder but the yellow gladiator brushed it off.

"Don't call me that." He snapped to his other half before turning back towards Erin. "I want to know what she has to say."

Anxiety boiled in Erin's veins. Her breath was rapid, as her heart could not seem to pace evenly. I one swift motion, she stood and turned towards the mech. "I mean exactly what I said, I don't know what the fuck I'm even doing here!" she responded with far more passion than she'd anticipated. Why was he the one getting upset anyway? She waved her hand towards the deceased seeker, "How am I supposed to fight _that_?" she asked exasperated.

Sideswipe looked at her, confused, "What do you mean, Rin? You've been training with us for months and you've fought decepticons before."

Sunstreaker interjected before Erin could reply, "I'm not going to stand by and let you sell yourself short. We offlined the guy, so what makes you think you don't belong here?" Though his optics were strong with challenge, his frame remained slumped with exhaustion.

If Erin hadn't been so upset, she would have found their blindness amusing. Were they really so distracted by their feelings for her that they couldn't see she was unable to take on such titans? "You two are god-damn fucking _giants,_ and you could've easily been scrapped by that thing!" she shouted, as if yelling would drill the point into their helms. She dropped her arm, exhaustion seeping into her muscles. "I'm just a human, I can't do anything here." She dropped her head. "If you wanted to crush me, you could've done so at any time but you didn't, that's the only reason I've survived so far." She added, eyes blazing, "And last time we fought the cons, I was nothing but a burden." Looking up to Sideswipe, she muttered, "and you got hurt because of me." Erin looked down again, too tired to continue. Instead, she dropped onto her butt and rested her head on one knee. "And if anything went wrong today, and you got hurt, that would have been on me as well."

There was barely a moment before Sunstreaker said, "Squishy, look at me." While he spoke steadily, Erin could hear just how much he was restraining his own emotions. Nevertheless. She ignored his demand. "Squishy." The mech repeated, temper rising. After a pause, he shouted, "Primus damn it, Erin!" Here name leaving the front liner's vocalizer was enough to shock her out of her stupor and get her to listen. She glanced up and saw Sunstreaker with a servo planted firmly over his chassis. "Do either of us look hurt to you?" he asked, voice softening. The two mechs had a few dents, but otherwise, they seemed tired more than anything. Erin stayed quiet so he continued, "Any mech who comes out of a fight against a seeker is lucky to survive." He stated firmly, "It was your plan that kept us online and led us to victory."

Erin glanced over to Sideswipe, whose smile was marred by genuine concern. "But," she said, "I had to risk your lives to do it. Doesn't that upset you?" she asked.

Sunstreaker was about to respond but Sideswipe stepped forward and kneeled down to place two digits gently on her shoulder. The silver mech smiled at her, "Any plan would have been risky." He responded. "Besides, other 'bots would've thrown us into the fray without a second thought, if only to get some time to escape themselves." His optics shot over to the air ducts she had been eyeing before. He knew what she had been thinking. "But," he added, "you came up with a plan that gave us all the best chance of survival." Off where Erin was looking, there was a shimmer of darkness passing through light.

"Don't forget," Sunstreaker added in a more subdued tone, "you made the first moves that handicapped the bastard."

Erin, however, wasn't listening anymore, her focus caught by something above them. Whatever it was seemed to shift in the shadows where a grate separated the ductwork from the rest of the room. Erin raised a fist, signaling for the mech's attention. They followed her line of sight, pausing as a pattering noise sounded above them.

"Drone!" Sideswipe shouted.

Sunstreaker raised his blaster and shot at where the air duct met the neighboring wall. The entire unit creaked and sagged without the support. The noise moved away from where he blasted, and headed to where the unit curved around to another part of the rounded wall. At that point, all three Team Prime members had mid-range weapons out and firing towards any possible exits or supports. The entire unit fell away from the ceiling and crashed down over the remains of crumpled scaffolding. Sideswipe quickly jumped over to the scene, pedes turning from wheels to a normal boot-like shape so he could tread over the uneven ground. With one blade ready, he tore at the thin metal, revealing a sparking little creature that looked like nothing more than scrap metal.

"Offline." Sideswipe reported back.

"Con?" Sunstreaker asked, surely already knowing the answer.

The silver twin nodded, picking up the remains. "Ratchet will want to examine both frames." He stated, throwing their latest victim next to the offline seeker for a crew to pick up.

Erin's eyebrows creased. What kind of valuable information had the cons gained? Afterall, knowledge was more valuable than any form of currency.


	34. Chapter 34

**Hello, I'm back. Sorry for the hiatus. My dog dies a couple months ago and I haven't been too motivated to write again until recently. I'll try to give you another update sooner.**

Chapter 34

The battle had finally ended. There were forty seven casualties, including Wheeljack. Prowl stated they were lucky, a bold statement in the face of such disaster. Mech's only objective seemed to be keeping N.E.S.T at bay, suppressing any movements but not lining up directly for a kill. Most of the deaths were caused by Hardshell, the insecticon. Skywarp only fought for what seemed to be entertainment, warping behind the line of soldiers to pick one up, crush him curiously, and warp away; then repeating the action every few minutes, laughing as he did so. Wheeljack was offlined after breaking the defensive line to engage the seeker one on one. The green con simply warped behind him an tore off his helm. It was at that moment when he stopped all advances and moved to the entrance of the facility, easily entering while the troops were retreating.

All materials in the facility were accounted for and, considering the involvement of Mech, all cybertronian-based weapons were counted. Erin was promptly made to return her new blade under the feigned excuse that it needed to be analyzed for structural effects from the battle. Erin knew better than to argue. By the next day, most of the soldiers, her and the twins included, were sent home.

Erin, Sideswipe, and Sunstreaker flew back with only Prowl- since Ironhide stayed behind- and the body of Wheeljack. Tarps covered the mech's lifeless frame, wrapping over and under his helm to keep it in place as the plane banked. Stacked equipment lined the walls, giving the mechs limited space to rest their backs in bi-pedal mode. While normally, Erin would leave her seat to walk among her cybertronian companions, she stayed in the same place since take-off. The only sound for the duration of the flight was the plane's engines. Everyone was too distracted by their own thoughts or mourning to utter a word.

In Erin's head, she was reviewing the battle with Skywarp. The seeker had been beyond unsettling, making her lose confidence in her own abilities. Though, the twins were right, she had managed to damage both the seeker's optic and shoulder before her plan was enacted to offline the freak. Yet there was still something that didn't settle right with her about the situation, but there was so much that happened, it was hard to go through it all.

The drone? It had obvious deception origins and was most likely sent to observe the battle, as if trying to learn something. Erin initially wondered whether it was sent to retrieve the batteries during the commotion, but the small creature would not be large enough to carry them. It didn't warn Skywarp of their trap though it should have had seen them carry out the plan. So, what was it for? Did it only watch Skywarp, thus not being around to see the trap until it was too late? Sending it ahead to locate the batteries and guide the seeker there would have been a wiser option. If there was one thing Erin did not like, it was not knowing.

However, Erin thought with a start, there was something strange about what the crazed seeker said. When he had Sideswipe in his clutches, he talked about Shockwave- the famed ruthless decepticon scientist- needing _another_ pair of twins. The looked over to her own set, what could Shockwave want with them?

Finally deciding to unstrap herself from the seat, she got up and headed to the twins. Sideswipe was in his alt mode, something he did when he didn't want Erin to know he was watching her. He'd make a terrible spy. Sunstreaker was working on his armor. Some of the dents already seemed to be healing away, others would need to be seen by Ratchet once they returned. Sunstreaker seemed to be sanding away at the edges of scratches, smoothing them over.

"Hey guys," she started, trying to sound more conversational, "do you have a minute?" She was rather stiff with the whole sympathy thing, but she wanted to give them an opportunity to turn her away, if they were still upset over losing a comrade.

Sunstreaker looked down at her, subspacing his materials. "What is it, squishy?" he asked.

Sideswipe transformed to kneel in front over her. "We always have time for you, Rin." He said, still sounding exhausted from the previous day.

"It's about Skywarp." She warned, carefully watching their expressions turn serious. "He said Shockwave needed another pair of twins. Do you have any idea what the cons could be doing?"

The twins looked at each other, their optics flickering, showing quick communication over their bond. Then, Sunstreaker looked back to her. "The cons are always up to something, we'll take it as it comes. Nothing to worry about." To show he was done with the conversation, he pulled out a cloth and started wiping at dust that had accumulated around his pedes, completely ignoring the half-finished sanding job on his chassis.

Erin, however, was not taking that as an answer. She stepped forward and put her hand over Sunstreaker's servo, gripping the cloth. The mech pulled it back towards his chassis, but she followed, getting in his personal space, one foot lifting herself up on his leg.

Sunstreaker shuttered his optics for a second in surprise. Normally, Erin would let him be the one to engage in any physical contact, for fear of upsetting him. But that apprehension had been fading away.

Looking at him straight in the optics, she stated firmly, "Don't think you can lie to me that easily, and don't brush me off. Look at me in the eyes and say you're not worried about this."

She waited for a moment, challenging the mech to speak out. Honestly, she wasn't sure whether he would lash out at her. Afterall, her organic hands were on him and his temper could flare at any moment. However, she stood her ground.

After a long second passed, Sunstreaker lowered his servo and sighed. "Fine, you win, squishy."

Satisfied, Erin moved back to give the mech some space, but she found a large arm sweep around her and guide her down to sit on the yellow thigh she had been standing on, a servo resting against her back. The soldier stiffed in surprise as she sat on Sunstreaker's leg like a child. Sideswipe crossed his legs together and sat across from Erin. Both mech's helms moved in close so they could whisper. Even after a year of knowing them, Erin still felt intimidated by the sheer size of them looming over her.

"First off," Sunstreaker stated, "you owe us something."

Erin cringed, they had her in a corner there, she did say she'd share the identity of her suspect. "Promise me if I tell you two, you won't do anything rash."

Sideswipe raised his servo, "Scout's honor, now spill it."

"I'm serious."

"So are we." Sunstreaker responded, optics narrowed to thin slits.

Erin looked around, Prowl was in clear view, though he seemed preoccupied, there was a chance he could be listening in. Erin motioned her head towards the Second in Command.

The twins looked as if they were about to argue, but Sideswipe muttered, "Fine. But we're talking as soon as we land."

At least that bought her some time. The twins were reliable in a pinch, but they were too reckless. She'd rather handle the situation on her own. "For now, share what you know about Shockwave and whatever he wants with twins."

Sunstreaker spoke up, "Honestly, we know about as much as you do. Split spark twins are fraggin' rare, most mechs would meet Primus before seeing a pair of twins." He stated. "Apparently, before the war, it was common practice for twins to be studied and some even experimented on. That was put on hold when the fighting broke loose, scientific study shifted to weaponry. Shockwave might have something planned, or he's just bored and wants to see how we tick." Sunstreaker was surprisingly nonchalant concerning the treatment f his kind. He normally preferred bursts of emotion, usually rage, when covering such personal topics.

Erin saw this as a chance to press further. "Have you heard of any that might have survived so far? Skywarp insinuated Shockwave has already been experimenting on twins."

"There are two other's we've heard of." Sideswipe chipped in. "Twins are pretty famous if you can't tell." He added with a quick wink. "A pair of neutrals we knew of called Jetstorm and Jetfire disappeared during evacuations a couple vorns ago. And there is a decepticon set, seekers named Skyquake and Dreadwing." He paused, optics widening, then flinched hard. "Sunny…" he muttered, staring at the ground.

"Don't call me that." He grumbled in response, tensing nevertheless at his brother's shift in mood.

Erin had to strain to hear what the former gladiator said next. "Didn't Skywarp seem a bit familiar?"

Sunstreaker's optics mirrored his brother's. "You don't think…"

Both mechs fell silent. Erin eyes both of them closely before prompting them to speak again, "What?"

Sideswipe locked optics with his brother. "Skywarp did have a similar frame to Skyquake. And remember what he said, about being able to warp 'now', as if he couldn't before?"

"You mean Shockwave experimented on him?" Erin added, trying to fill in whatever they were not saying.

Sunstreaker muttered back, "But what does him being a twin have to do with warping? And where was Dreadwing?"

The silver mech shuttered his optics. "Wherever he was, he's offline now."

This was getting into territory Erin knew she didn't entirely comprehend. "How likely is it that was Skyquake?" She asked, hoping for better confirmation.

"Honestly, I don't know." Sideswipe said, shaking his helm in dissatisfaction. "We'll have to tell Prowl, though." He added, "And maybe Ratchet will have some answers."

"Yeah, maybe." Sunstreaker said.

Regardless of the truth, one fact was in Erin's mind. The twins were at risk.

* * *

Starscream scowled at the data pad before him, optics focused on the small organic creature his drone had been focused on. After watching the video four times, he still couldn't believe this was the creature that had caused him problems in the past and continued to do so.

Silas planned on making her a spy for both Mech and, by extension, the decepticons. That plan fell through quickly. Two of his three mighty insecticons were, according to Hardshell, offlined due to a the combined efforts of the famed gladiator twins and this pathetic human. Then, Starscream himself was left to witness the destruction of his own scientifically enhanced Seeker. The drone had been meant to allow Shockwave to study Skywarp's progress. Instead, it showed how a pathetic little organic maimed Starscream's mighty warrior.

The de facto leader of the decepticons watched as the human's hands moved, showing some kind of secret message to the silver and yellow mechs. He already tried comparing it to different forms of human sign language, but they couldn't translate what was said. The result was obvious, though. The other N.E.S.T soldiers and autobots never seemed to use this way of communicating.

Starscream reeled at the thought. This was either a new technique brought on by N.E.S.T, or the twins and this human were in some kind of close partnership. As impossible as it sounded. Though, perhaps he could turn this in his favor. He finally had a way of getting to them, and advancing his plans. He would need to find everything he could on this Erin Brook.

The sound of pede steps alerted Starscream to Shockwave's return. In his servo, he carried a measly two barrels of what appeared to be gasoline. The seeker shuttered at the sight. Because of Skywarp's failure, they would be forced to continue surviving off the dark filth produced by the planet's inhabitants. Still, they couldn't go without refueling, and what Shockwave brought back wouldn't last the two of them more than a day.

"Is that really all you could find?" the seeker snapped.

Shockwave appeared unfazed, his expressionless faceplates giving away nothing. "Until our forces grow, it is illogical to take more than would be noticed by the humans." He titled his helm and continued, "It is also illogical for me to go on such simple retrieval excursions, when I should be in my lab."

"Well, if you haven't noticed, there is not much for you to work on now, is there? Besides, I'm busy too.: he complained. "Our human allies are such a pain."

"Mech has not offered any benefit to the decepticon cause." Shockwave stated. "It is illogical to continue."

"You're right." Starscream conceded. "Since Silas exposed his own identity in the failed capture of the autobot twins, his resources have significantly dwindled. And it seems their firepower can't hold up to the autobots either. It may be time to cut ties with them." Pushing that thought away for the moment, he added, "But no matter, this is a populous planet, and there are many others to exploit, at least until our plans come together." He grinned, processor working. Perhaps, he could even capture some of Mech's resources before blasting Silas to dust.

* * *

56 was tired. The effects of the long mission were weighing on the agent. Countless sleepless nights were spent doing research for division. And as the autobots upgraded their securities and record concealment, it became nearly impossible to gather data. It took weeks to crack each code, having to constantly receive algorithm updates from base. But in all honesty, 56 did not want to leave. It was easy not to get attached during short missions, but after months outside the confines of division, 56 felt free. No beatings for stepping out of line, no training in interrogations. 56 always hated division; ever since childhood. The agent could remember sitting on a small bed with 55, 25, 34, and 14; a blanket over their heads and a flashlight between them. They imagined what they would do if they ever escaped from division. 25 wanted to play basketball professionally. 34 wanted to hack into bank accounts and steal a bunch of money, and live on his own island… with a pet tiger, of course. They were only kids at the time, they could dream whatever they wanted. But, eventually they grew up. The only freedom they would ever find would be in death. Still, being so far from division, the agent could imagine, just for a moment, that the shackles were gone. 56 really did not want to leave.

While the new security measures made the agent's job more difficult, it also extended the mission. The only reminders of the hell awaiting back home were the infrequent messages sent through 34. The most recent one brought the temporary nature of the mission to the forefront.

-We have a reason to believe an individual has discovered your identity. Kill them, make it look like an accident. -

A single picture accompanied the message. It was the very soldier 56 had been keeping a close eye on. This individual displayed both natural and hard-earned talent. The agent even considered recommending recruitment. The only reason why 56 held off, was to spare the specialist the life of an agent. But 56 was an assassin.

It was time to get back to reality.


End file.
